Beijing is currently evaluating a proposal to allow major technology companies, specifically ByteDance and Alibaba, to acquire Nvidia RTX Pro 5500 chips. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has requested detailed procurement plans from these firms to assess the potential for increased hardware imports.
The RTX Pro 5500 is designed for professional workstations rather than large-scale data center clusters used for AI training. Industry experts suggest this classification might help the hardware bypass the most stringent export restrictions currently in place.
Earlier in 2026, Chinese authorities conditionally approved the import of over 400 000 Nvidia H200 chips for ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent. However, by August, only 10 000 units had been delivered to each company, representing approximately 2.5% of the authorized volume.
US regulators had previously authorized shipments of up to 75 000 H200 units for each of 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba and Tencent. Despite these approvals, oversight mechanisms have significantly limited the actual volume of hardware reaching the market.
No official confirmation regarding the approval or delivery of RTX Pro 5500 chips has been issued. Neither Nvidia nor the involved Chinese corporations have released public statements concerning the potential transaction.
