According to Bloomberg News, Chinese authorities have given preliminary approval to several of the country's leading technology companies, including Alibaba, Tencent and ByteDance, to begin preparing orders for Nvidia's H200 chips dedicated to artificial intelligence. The approval marks a significant step forward, allowing them to negotiate order terms, including potential volumes, while meeting certain conditions set by regulators.

Amongst these conditions is a requirement that the companies involved also source domestic chips. The measure is intended to support China's national semiconductor manufacturing capabilities amid persistent technology tensions between China and the US. Neither Nvidia nor the Chinese companies involved have so far officially commented on the report.

Following these revelations, Nvidia shares were up 1.7% during trading, while Alibaba shares fell nearly 2%. The development comes as access to advanced chips remains a strategic issue for Chinese technology players, facing tightening US restrictions on exports of critical components.