Top Democrat Open to Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China

Ro Khanna signals shift from predecessor's stance on allowing older chip sales to China

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Ro Khanna, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Select Committee on China, signaled he is open to allowing sales of Nvidia's older H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, a change from the previous committee leadership's position. Khanna stopped short of endorsing the Trump administration's decision to allow the sales but said he is fine with selling older chip generations to China after a 2-3 year advantage period for the U.S.

Why it matters

The shift in the committee's stance on Nvidia chip sales to China represents a departure from the previous bipartisan approach, with Democrats now also criticizing the Trump administration's policies on Taiwan. This could signal a more divided committee moving forward on issues related to China and technology trade.

The details

Khanna, who recently took over as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, said he is open to allowing sales of Nvidia's older 'Hopper' generation H200 chips to China, in contrast to the previous committee leadership's opposition. However, Khanna drew the line at allowing sales of Nvidia's newer 'Blackwell' and 'Rubin' chip generations to China. The H200 chips were released in 2024 and are part of the Hopper generation, which preceded Nvidia's current Blackwell chips and the forthcoming Rubin chips.

  • Khanna took over as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on China earlier this year.
  • Last year, the previous ranking Democrat, Raja Krishnamoorthi, co-sponsored a bill that would have blocked the sales of Nvidia's H200 chips to China.

The players

Ro Khanna

A California Democrat who is the current ranking member on the U.S. House Select Committee on China.

Raja Krishnamoorthi

The Illinois Democrat who previously served as the ranking member on the U.S. House Select Committee on China and co-sponsored a bill to block sales of Nvidia's H200 chips to China.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President whose administration made the decision to allow sales of Nvidia's H200 chips to China.

John Moolenaar

The Michigan Republican who currently chairs the U.S. House Select Committee on China.

Nvidia

An American technology company that manufactures the H200, Blackwell, and Rubin artificial intelligence chips.

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What they’re saying

“We certainly shouldn't be sending them Rubins. We shouldn't be sending them Blackwells. But after we have a two-year, three-year advantage, then I'm fine to make sure that our chips are being used in refrigerators and dishwashers and that that is something that we're selling.”

— Ro Khanna, Ranking Democrat, U.S. House Select Committee on China (ksgf.com)

“Trump's policies have not been clear, they have not been consistent, and they are undermining security of Taiwan.”

— Ro Khanna, Ranking Democrat, U.S. House Select Committee on China (ksgf.com)

What’s next

The committee is expected to hold further hearings and discussions on the issue of Nvidia chip sales to China, as well as the broader U.S. policy towards Taiwan, in the coming months.

The takeaway

The shift in the House Select Committee on China's stance on Nvidia chip sales to China signals a potential partisan divide on technology trade issues with China, as well as a more critical view of the previous administration's policies towards Taiwan.