Despite official U.S. export restrictions, Chinese technology companies are effectively accessing NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPUs via remote rental models and outsourcing, highlighting a growing challenge to policy enforcement amidst a robust global demand for high-performance AI compute resources.
Officially, NVIDIA’s Blackwell accelerators are off-limits to China under U.S. export controls. In practice, however, those restrictions are proving porous as Chinese technology groups secure access not by direct purchase but by outsourcing or renting compute capacity hosted outside the country. According to reporting by Igor’s Lab and the Financial Times, Tencent has contracted third-party arrangements to rent access to Blackwell systems operated by Japanese neocloud operator Datasection in data centres in Japan and Australia, in deals reportedly worth more than $1.2bn that cover a substantial share of Datasection’s roughly 15,000 Blackwell processors. [1]
The mechanism exploits a legal grey area: Washington’s rules bar the sale and delivery of certain high-performance GPUs to China, but they do not explicitly prohibit Chinese firms from using those chips remotely via foreign cloud or rental services. Industry data and analyst commentary cited in the Financial Times suggest the appeal is clear, Blackwell’s memory bandwidth, scaling and efficiency materially outstrip domestically available alternatives and even earlier NVIDIA generations, making rental models an attractive long-term option for Chinese AI developers struggling with compute-intensive training workloads. [1]
NVIDIA’s own position, however, remains that it has no plans to ship Blackwell GPUs to China. CEO Jensen Huang has said there are currently no active discussions to supply the Chinese market and that approvals from Chinese authorities would be required before any such shipments, a stance that aligns with U.S. policy to limit onshore access to the most advanced accelerators. Reporting by Tom’s Hardware notes Huang’s comments and underlines Beijing’s heavy presence in AI research, including contributions to many leading open-source models and roughly half of the world’s AI researchers. [2]
The rental and routing workarounds are not limited to cloud leases. Tom’s Hardware has also reported Chinese firms obtaining Blackwell chips by ordering through companies registered in nearby jurisdictions such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, a practice that can result in delivery within weeks despite high costs. Those accounts portray a market where demand for high-end accelerators remains robust and creative procurement channels continue to emerge. [3]
Washington has attempted narrower calibrations of policy rather than blanket bans. The H200, a high-performance NVIDIA accelerator distinct from Blackwell, was cleared for export to China under tightly controlled conditions that include U.S.-origin transit and traceable logistics, together with optional location-verification software from NVIDIA to ensure where chips are operating. That fix has proved contentious: Chinese regulators have questioned whether such verification tools amount to backdoors or external access to sensitive systems. The episode illustrates how export policy is evolving into technical, contractual and verification regimes rather than simple shipment rules. [4]
Smuggling and unauthorised imports remain other pressure points. Reports and denials have surfaced about restricted consumer and datacentre components appearing in China despite controls, with manufacturers publicly denying illicit sales even as investigative reporting points to significant volumes transiting into Chinese markets. Those incidents show that both formal legal workarounds and informal channels are at play in keeping access to advanced silicon alive. [5][6][7]
Politically and strategically, the Tencent–Datasection example highlights a deeper tension in export controls: they can restrict transfers of hardware but struggle to constrain services delivered across borders. The effect is to shift the locus of control from chips themselves to where and how compute is provided and governed. According to Igor’s Lab’s analysis, the case is less a simple Chinese loophole than a structural problem for Western export policy, so long as high-performance compute can be rented globally, embargoes function as speed limits rather than absolute barriers. [1]
That reality leaves policymakers with difficult choices: tighten rules further around foreign cloud use and contractual access at the risk of disrupting global cloud markets and innovation, or accept a degree of diffusion of advanced compute and pursue other levers such as software-level controls, verification regimes and targeted sanctions. For now, the market is adapting faster than regulation, and access to Blackwell-class performance exists in ways that regulatory language did not fully foresee. [1][2][3][4]
📌 Reference Map:
##Reference Map:
- [1] (Igor’s Lab/Financial Times synthesis) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8
- [2] (Tom’s Hardware) – Paragraph 3, Paragraph 8
- [3] (Tom’s Hardware) – Paragraph 4, Paragraph 8
- [4] (Tom’s Hardware) – Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
- [5] (PC Gamer) – Paragraph 6
- [6] (PC Gamer) – Paragraph 6
- [7] (PC Gamer) – Paragraph 6
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on 22 December 2025, and presents new information not found in earlier reports. The Financial Times’ involvement suggests a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the narrative, indicating original content. The Financial Times’ involvement suggests a high originality score.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable organisation, the Financial Times, enhancing its credibility. The Financial Times’ involvement suggests a high reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims align with known export restrictions and industry practices. The Financial Times’ involvement suggests a high plausibility score.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and originates from a reputable source, with claims that are plausible and align with known industry practices.
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