Major Chinese technology companies are reportedly scrambling to secure Huawei’s Ascend 950 AI chips following the release of DeepSeek’s V4 model, which has been optimised for domestic hardware and triggered a surge in demand across China’s AI sector. Firms including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba are said to be placing new orders as cloud platforms rapidly deploy the model, significantly increasing computing workloads and chip requirements. The Ascend 950 series is being positioned as a key alternative to restricted U.S. chips like Nvidia’s advanced processors, reflecting Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance amid ongoing export controls. However, supply constraints remain a major issue, with production still ramping up and output expected to fall short of demand, even as Huawei targets large-scale shipments in 2026. Analysts say the situation highlights both the accelerating adoption of Chinese-built AI systems and the persistent bottlenecks in high-end semiconductor manufacturing.
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