New York Times investigation: offices of two Chinese firms approved to buy restricted Nvidia AI chips are vacant and linked to sanctioned military suppliers

According to a New York Times investigation, the addresses of two Chinese companies approved to purchase Nvidia H200 chips point to vacant offices, and front desk staff in the buildings do not recognize the companies. The investigation also says that executives of these companies are often associated with enterprises sanctioned by the United States for providing advanced technology to the Chinese military. Liza Tobin, former China director at the White House National Security Council, told the New York Times that she worries neither the U.S. Department of Commerce nor Nvidia has done the necessary due diligence to ensure license terms are complied with, and said the Commerce Department may simply be routinely approving GPU export license applications without reviewing each one for possible ties to Beijing.