Beijing is pressing Washington to ease restrictions on a key technology powering the artificial intelligence race—high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips—before a potential high-profile meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reports.
According to sources cited by the paper, Chinese officials have privately told policy experts in Washington that rolling back the export controls is a priority in any trade deal discussions. The White House, US State Department, and China’s Foreign Ministry have yet to comment.
HBM chips, prized for their ability to accelerate data-heavy AI tasks, are vital in tandem with powerful AI graphics processors from companies like Nvidia. The US’s tight control over these components has raised concerns in Beijing, especially for tech giants such as Huawei, whose AI ambitions are hampered by limited access to cutting-edge hardware.
Washington’s chip export restrictions are part of a broader strategy—spanning multiple administrations—to slow China’s progress in AI and defence capabilities. While the curbs have frustrated US semiconductor makers by limiting sales to one of the world’s biggest chip markets, China still represents a significant source of revenue for American firms.
As both nations weigh the economic stakes against strategic rivalry, the fate of HBM chip trade could become a key bargaining chip—literally—on the road to any Trump–Xi agreement.
Main Image: The Economic Times
