How a Banned Chinese Tech Giant Obtained U.S. Advanced Artificial Intelligence Chips
Chinese tech giant Inspur, blacklisted by the U.S. due to military ties, continued to procure advanced Nvidia chips through a subsidiary named Aivres.
Chinese technology giant Inspur, blacklisted by the United States over security risks and military connections, continued shipments of advanced artificial intelligence chips through a global network it established and a U.S.-based subsidiary.
Strategy Shift After Sanctions
The Washington administration included Inspur Group on the entity list restricting it from doing business with the U.S. in March 2023 due to its work with the Chinese military. Following this decision, the company changed its sign in Silicon Valley to Aivres and continued its operations through its new subsidiary.
Multi-Billion Dollar Technology Shipments
According to trade records, Aivres exported at least $5.6 billion worth of advanced technology from the U.S. to Southeast Asia between April 2024 and February 2026. These shipments included over $3 billion in computers and equipment housing cutting-edge Blackwell chips.
A Network Reaching China via Southeast Asia
This advanced technology was directed to data centers and tech companies in Southeast Asia that serve China's largest tech firms, such as Alibaba and ByteDance. Shipments were also made to an electronics manufacturer in Malaysia through the global network.
Shipments to Universities and State Enterprises
Unlabeled servers were sent through Malaysia to a newly established company named Maginfra. Maginfra, in turn, supplied these high-performance computers to Chinese universities and state-owned enterprises, prompting federal authorities to investigate these activities.