Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Wednesday local time that China is "not behind" the US in artificial intelligence, and called the race in AI development a "long-term, infinite race," US media reported.

Speaking to reporters at a tech conference in Washington, DC, Huang noted China may currently be "right behind" the US for now, but emphasized it's a narrow gap, according to CNBC. 

"We are very close," Huang stated. "Remember, this is a long-term, infinite race."

His remarks came against the backdrop of the restrictions from the US government on shipments of Nvidia's H20 chips to China without a license. 

On April 15, the US Commerce Department announced new export licensing requirements for Nvidia's H20, AMD's MI308 AI chips, and their equivalents destined for China.

Nvidia stated that the latest curbs could cost the company $5.5 billion, according to CNBC. 

Speaking about Chinese tech company Huawei, Huang said that "They're incredible in computing and network technology, all these essential capabilities to advance AI."

"They have made enormous progress in the last several years," Huang added. 

Huang said on the same day he would like the Trump administration to change the regulations related to exporting AI technology from the US for businesses to better capitalize on future opportunities, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

Huang recently wrapped up his second visit to Beijing in three months.

During his visit to Beijing on April 17, Huang stated that the US government's tightening of chip export controls has already had a significant impact on Nvidia's business. He was received by Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Global Times