Chinese universities performing military research acquired Super Micro servers with sanctioned Nvidia AI chips — public documents reveal purchases were completed in 2025 and 2026 despite US export controls

Chinese universities, including those known for military research, purchased Super Micro servers with Nvidia AI chips despite US export controls. The Harbin Institute of Technology and Beihang University acquired systems with Nvidia A100 chips, with the latter's purchase occurring in March 2026. These universities are linked to China's defense industry, raising concerns about technology transfer. The servers were part of a smuggling operation involving $2.5 billion worth of advanced AI servers, leading to arrests and calls from US lawmakers to suspend export licenses to China.