BEIJING, July 15, 2025 (AFP) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will attend the opening ceremony of China's international supply chain expo on Wednesday, according to state media, as the US tech giant strains under Washington's curbs on AI chips.

The California-based firm produces some of the world's most advanced semiconductors but has been unable to sell certain artificial-intelligence chips to China because Washington has tightened export restrictions on the critical technology.

Consequently, the company has been battling tougher competition from local players in the crucial Chinese market such as homegrown champion Huawei.

Huang "will be present at the opening ceremony of the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo on July 16 and participate in related activities", state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday.

The report cited the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, an official body controlled by Beijing's commerce ministry.

It will be Taiwan-born Huang's third trip to China this year, according to CCTV. Huang told Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on a visit to Beijing in April that he "looked favourably upon the potential of the Chinese economy", according to state news agency Xinhua.

Huang, an electrical engineer, said he was "willing to continue to plough deeply into the Chinese market and play a positive role in promoting US-China trade cooperation", Xinhua reported.

The tightened US export curbs have come as China's economy wavers, with domestic consumers reluctant to spend and a prolonged property sector crisis weighing on growth.

President Xi Jinping has called for China to become more self-reliant as uncertainty in the external environment increases.

The Financial Times reported in May that Nvidia was planning to build a research and development centre in Shanghai. Neither Nvidia nor the city's authorities confirmed the project to AFP at the time.

Beijing will announce growth figures for the second quarter on Tuesday, with analysts expecting strong exports to shore up the economy despite the trade war with Washington.