ISTANBUL

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, said Wednesday that China is "not behind" the US in the artificial intelligence (AI) technologies race.

Huang told reporters at a tech conference in Washington, DC, that China may now be "right behind" the US, but the difference is not big.

"We are very close. Remember this is a long-time, infinite race," he said.

Praising the Chinese tech company, Huawei, Huang noted that the firm has made good progress in AI tech.

“They’re incredible in computing and network tech, all these central capabilities to advance AI,” said Huang. “They have made enormous progress in the last several years.”

Huang reiterated the need for the US to prioritize AI regulations that hasten the advancement of the technology.

"We will have to compete for this industry," he noted.

Huang expressed a belief that Nvidia will be able to produce its AI products in the US. The firm said earlier this month it would work with Foxconn, a manufacturing partner in the US city of Houston, to construct AI servers.

“With willpower and the resources of our country, I’m certain we can manufacture onshore,” he added.

Nvidia has become an important part of the global economy in recent years, producing the chips that power the bulk of advanced AI applications with billions of dollars in investments.

The most recent investment came on April 14, when Nvidia said that it is planning to construct AI servers worth up to $500 billion in the US in the next four years with help from partners such as TSMC.

On the other hand, the US chip company confronts increasing obstacles in the US, including tariffs and a planned Biden-era regulation that would limit the sale of its most powerful AI processors to other nations.

The Trump administration prohibited the shipping of Nvidia's H20 processors to China without a license on April 15. Nvidia estimated a $5.5 billion hit from the limitation.