Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Shanghai amid China regulatory headwinds

Nvidia NVDA.O CEO Jensen Huang is in Shanghai, a person briefed on the matter said on Saturday, as the U.S. chip giant faces fierce competition from local rivals and scrutiny from Chinese authorities.

The timing of Huang's trip, to kick off annual celebrations with Nvidia's China employees, is routine.

He is expected to attend an Nvidia party in Shanghai on Saturday before travelling to Beijing, Shenzhen and then Taiwan, another person with knowledge of the plans said.

Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese news outlet Tencent News first reported Huang's presence in Shanghai on Friday.

Huang visited China at least three times last year and in July met with China's commerce minister.

Nvidia is waiting for Beijing to decide whether to let the company sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chip to Chinese customers, a step already approved by Washington.

Chinese authorities have told customs agents that the H200 chip was not permitted to enter China, people briefed on the matter told Reuters this month. It was not clear whether this constituted a formal ban or a temporary measure.

The H200, Nvidia's second most powerful AI chip, has emerged as one of the biggest flashpoints in U.S.-China relations. While demand from Chinese firms remains strong, it is unclear whether Beijing intends to ban the chip outright to support domestic chipmakers, is still deliberating restrictions or views potential measures as leverage in negotiations with Washington.

-Che Pan and Brenda Goh/Reuters