Chinese technology giant Huawei has unveiled new chip technologies as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global artificial intelligence race and challenge industry leader Nvidia.
Huawei made the announcement Thursday at its annual key conference in Shanghai, just days before an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Sept 24.
China has been pushing to become more self-reliant in key technologies, particularly semiconductors, after US-led restrictions limited its access to some of the world's most advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment.
At the event, Huawei introduced the Atlas 960 SuperPoD computing cluster, a faster successor to a model launched only months ago. The new system includes improvements in AI training and "inference," the process through which a trained AI system makes predictions or decisions.
Huawei also plans to launch the Ascend 970 and Ascend 980 chip series in 2028 and 2029, respectively, with significantly greater computing power expected from the new chips.
"The timing — less than two weeks before President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington — underscores Beijing's confidence and ambition in technology and innovation," said George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at consultancy The Asia Group.
Huawei's announcement came as Trump dismissed calls from some AI leaders to slow the development of the technology for safety reasons. Trump has stressed that the United States must maintain its lead over China, saying, "whoever wins in AI, wins."
"AI developments move so quickly that no one can be certain of holding the lead forever," Chen said.
Analysts say advanced AI development in China, including the training of AI models, still depends heavily on US-made chips, including those produced by Nvidia. However, Huawei has developed its own advanced chips and remains ahead of other Chinese chipmakers as more AI companies in China turn to domestically produced technology.
The Atlas 960 SuperPoD has drawn attention from some technology analysts because it was introduced only months after Huawei unveiled the Atlas 950 SuperPod late last year.
"The fact that Huawei achieved this upgrade in just a year, far quicker than before, will only heighten US anxiety about the accelerating AI competition," Chen said.