Blacklisted Chinese military-linked university bought Nvidia H200 chips - Report

A report by news agency Reuters has revealed that a blacklisted Chinese university with close ties to the country's military has purchased some of Nvidia's most powerful artificial intelligence chips.Northwestern Polytechnical University bought two Nvidia H200 processors for 874,700 yuan ($123,000) last month, according to procurement records. The purchase was made through a Chinese technology supplier rather than directly from the US chipmaker.The university also secured access to computing systems powered by H200 processors and other restricted Nvidia chips through a series of rental contracts with Chinese companies, the records show.The findings highlight the limits of Washington's efforts to prevent China from accessing advanced computing technology, particularly as universities and research institutions increasingly rely on domestic intermediaries to obtain chips or rent computing capacity.The H200 is among Nvidia's most powerful processors for training and running advanced AI systems. Exports to China require US government approval, with licences generally denied for institutions on the country's Entity List, including Northwestern Polytechnical.Military-linked university among buyersNorthwestern Polytechnical conducts research in areas including military aircraft, missiles and satellites. It is part of the 'Seven Sons of National Defense', a group of Chinese universities known for defence-related research and links to the country's military-industrial sector.The US Commerce Department placed the university on its Entity List in 2001 over alleged involvement in missile proliferation and military research.…