China is asking the United States to relax export controls on high-bandwidth memory chips that are critical for artificial-intelligence systems, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the discussions. Beijing’s request has been put forward as part of negotiations aimed at securing a broader trade agreement ahead of a possible summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The requested concession targets U.S. restrictions introduced in 2024 that bar Chinese companies from buying advanced HBM chips and related technology. Those curbs, Chinese officials argue, are hobbling domestic firms such as Huawei and SMIC in their efforts to design and train cutting-edge AI processors. HBM chips are used alongside graphics processors—including those from Nvidia—to speed data-intensive AI tasks. Successive U.S. administrations have tightened semiconductor export rules to contain China’s technological and defence ambitions, while Chinese demand remains a significant revenue source for American chipmakers. The White House, State Department and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the report. Any shift in chip-control policy would add a sensitive technology layer to already complex trade talks between the world’s two largest economies.