Trump to Discuss Nvidia’s Blackwell AI Chip with China’s Xi Amid Trade Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will discuss Nvidia’s flagship artificial intelligence chip, Blackwell, during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, sparking optimism in global markets. Following his remarks aboard Air Force One, Wall Street futures extended gains slightly, with Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.3% in Asian trading.

Trump praised Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and its CEO Jensen Huang, calling the Blackwell chip “amazing” and highlighting the company’s “unbelievable” progress in artificial intelligence. His comments came shortly after Huang, speaking at Nvidia’s first developer conference in Washington, commended Trump’s leadership and emphasized that the U.S. could dominate the AI race even with Chinese developers using Nvidia hardware.

Nvidia shares surged to record highs on Tuesday, fueled by optimism around AI innovation and increased U.S. investment. However, the company remains restricted from selling its high-end Blackwell chips to China under current U.S. export controls, which only permit less powerful AI chips. These restrictions have been a key flashpoint in U.S.-China trade relations, prompting Beijing to ramp up support for domestic AI and semiconductor development.

Huang has publicly criticized the export limits from both sides, urging more cooperation to prevent technological fragmentation. The upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea—part of the U.S. president’s broader Asia tour—could prove pivotal for easing chip trade tensions and shaping the future of global AI competition.

As the world watches, Nvidia’s Blackwell chip stands at the center of geopolitical and technological rivalry, representing both the promise and the pressure of leading in the next era of artificial intelligence.