China launches investigation into US chipmaker Nvidia
Al JazeeraDEC 2024
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal
Above: The Nvidia Corporation logo is exhibited during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 5, 2025. Image copyright: Joan Cros/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
China's antitrust action against Nvidia demonstrates Beijing's resolve to enforce market fairness — even against powerful foreign firms. By preliminarily ruling that Nvidia breached the conditions of its 2020 Mellanox acquisition, China demonstrates its intention to hold companies to their legal commitments and protect domestic competitors. This move signals strength in China's regulatory institutions and underscores its insistence that foreign tech giants play by China's rules. The timing, coinciding with trade talks, shows that China won't be bullied into ignoring corporate violations just to appease Washington.
Anti-China narrative
Beijing's antitrust probe appears to be a retaliatory measure against U.S. export controls, as the investigation was launched just one week after Washington tightened semiconductor restrictions. Nvidia's Mellanox deal was approved in 2020, and contentious export restrictions have complicated compliance. This antitrust case may be less about market fairness and more about strategic pressure, potentially threatening innovation and chilling cross-border investment in high-tech industries. The U.S. risks overregulation and geopolitical overreach if China uses this probe as a means of leverage in trade tensions.