Moonshot AI seeks European cloud access for Nvidia chips

Beijing-based artificial intelligence laboratory Moonshot AI has engaged in private discussions to lease computing capacity from data-center operators in Europe. The negotiations aim to secure access to Nvidia’s advanced Blackwell GPU systems, which are currently prohibited from direct shipment to China under U.S. export controls.

Four people familiar with the negotiations indicated that the discussions involved potential access to clusters of 8,000 or more GPUs. Proposals discussed during these talks included upfront payments 30% to 50% higher than standard rates charged to non-Chinese customers, a premium intended to account for regulatory risks.

These discussions took place throughout 2026, including periods following reports that the company had accessed similar hardware through a facility in Thailand. No lease agreements have been confirmed as a result of these talks.

While U.S. export controls limit the physical transfer of high-end AI chips to China, current regulations do not broadly prohibit Chinese firms from renting computing power from servers located outside the country. Moonshot AI has been seeking additional compute capacity to support its Kimi K3 model, which was released in July 2026.

The potential for remote access to advanced hardware remains a point of focus for U.S. policy. The Remote Access Security Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2026, had not been passed by the Senate as of Nov. 5, 2026.