China Weighs Allowing ByteDance and Alibaba to Buy Nvidia’s New RTX Pro 5500 Chips

China considers allowing ByteDance and Alibaba to purchase Nvidia RTX Pro 5500 chips for AI computing workloads.

China is considering allowing major technology companies including ByteDance and Alibaba to purchase Nvidia’s newly released RTX Pro 5500 chips, according to a report by The Information cited by Coin Bureau.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has reportedly asked companies including ByteDance and Alibaba about how many chips they intend to purchase and how they would use them, according to two people familiar with the matter cited by The Information. Officials have indicated to some companies that approvals are coming, although the timing, quantity and criteria for approval remain unclear.

Beijing Considers New Nvidia Chip Purchases

The potential approval concerns Nvidia’s RTX Pro 5500, a high-end chip designed for professional computers rather than the company’s most powerful data-center AI systems. The chip was released this month and is built on the same core technology used in Nvidia’s high-end gaming hardware.

Chinese AI companies have been seeking additional computing capacity as they develop and operate increasingly demanding AI models. The Information reported that ByteDance is weighing an order for about 1 million RTX Pro 5500 chips, although the final amount could change depending on how many units Beijing permits the company to purchase and how many Nvidia can supply.

The Information also reported that at least some potential buyers intend to install the chips in servers for AI workloads. One planned configuration would use eight RTX Pro 5500 chips per server.

Nvidia Faces Restrictions in China

The possible change comes after years of restrictions affecting Nvidia’s access to the Chinese market.

Washington has imposed export controls on advanced computing chips destined for China, while Beijing has separately restricted purchases of certain Nvidia processors as it seeks to support domestic semiconductor manufacturers and address national-security concerns. Nvidia has disputed concerns about potential security risks associated with its products.

The company’s position in China’s advanced AI chip market has consequently declined sharply. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said U.S. export controls reduced the company’s share of that market from about 95% to zero, with domestic suppliers including Huawei filling more of the gap.

The RTX Pro 5500 is not among Nvidia’s highest-end AI data-center processors. It lacks the high-speed interconnects and expensive high-bandwidth memory used in the company’s leading data-center products. Nevertheless, The Information reported that Chinese companies are interested in the chip because of its ability to run AI models.

Approval Timing Remains Uncertain

The reported discussions do not yet amount to confirmed authorization for broad purchases. The Information said it remains unclear when Beijing will issue approvals, how many chips individual companies will be permitted to buy and what standards officials will use to evaluate requests.

Nvidia is reportedly targeting shipments of the RTX Pro 5500 to China beginning in late December, with plans to supply about 500,000 chips per quarter, according to people familiar with the company's plans cited by The Information.

The reported review therefore leaves financial the next step with Chinese authorities, as companies wait for details on whether and how much of Nvidia’s new chip they will be permitted to purchase.

Writer: Victoria Hale
Technology & Blockchain Writer

Victoria Hale writes about blockchain technology, digital infrastructure, and the intersection of emerging technologies with finance. Her articles explore how new protocols and systems are shaping the evolving digital economy.

She prioritises clarity and accuracy when explaining technical developments to a general audience.