What AMD CEO Lisa Su Said and Did During Her China Visit

AMD CEO Lisa Su’s trip to China in May 2026 combined diplomacy, industry messaging, and a bold outlook for artificial intelligence. During the visit she met senior Chinese officials, spoke at AMD’s AI Developer Day in Shanghai, and laid out a long‑term vision for global AI adoption while reaffirming China’s importance to AMD’s strategy.

The visit came at a sensitive moment for the semiconductor industry, where U.S. export controls and geopolitical tensions continue to shape how American chip companies operate in China.

Meeting With Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng

One of the most visible moments of the trip was Su’s meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing. During the discussion, He encouraged multinational technology companies to take advantage of China’s development opportunities and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Su responded positively, expressing AMD’s willingness to continue expanding its business presence and investment in China.

The meeting also occurred shortly after high‑level U.S.–China discussions, and analysts interpreted the engagement as a signal that semiconductor trade tensions could eventually ease. Some observers suggested it might improve the chances that certain advanced chips could return to the Chinese market if policy conditions change.

A Bold Forecast: 5 Billion Daily AI Users by 2030

While in Shanghai, Su delivered a keynote at AMD’s AI Developer Day where she made one of the trip’s most widely quoted predictions: global AI adoption could reach roughly five billion daily users by 2030, up from about one billion today.

She described the industry as reaching a turning point, arguing that AI is moving from experimentation to becoming a foundational technology embedded in everyday digital tools and services.

Such growth, she said, would dramatically increase demand for computing infrastructure across cloud platforms, personal devices, and edge systems.

China’s Role in AMD’s AI Strategy

Su also emphasized that China remains a key component of AMD’s global ecosystem. The company has worked in the Chinese market for more than three decades, and Su said the country has become an important driver of AMD’s strategic deployment and innovation efforts.

AMD maintains thousands of engineers and multiple research and development centers across Greater China, supporting work on chips, software ecosystems, and AI infrastructure.

This positioning reflects a broader strategy shared by many global chipmakers: maintaining technical collaboration and market presence in China while navigating export controls from the United States.

Market and Investor Reaction

Investors viewed the China visit as a potentially constructive signal for AMD’s long‑term access to the Chinese market, particularly given the meeting with senior government leadership.

However, the immediate market reaction was mixed. Around the time of the visit, AMD shares were reported at about $415.48, down roughly 2.03% on the day, although the stock remained up more than 90% year‑to‑date.

That muted response reflected the broader reality facing semiconductor companies: strong long‑term demand for AI chips, but continued uncertainty around geopolitical restrictions and export rules.

The Bigger Picture

Lisa Su’s China visit highlighted several themes shaping the global AI and semiconductor landscape:

• AI adoption is accelerating quickly, with potential for billions of daily users within the decade.
• China remains an essential market and innovation hub for global chipmakers.
• U.S.–China technology restrictions continue to create uncertainty around advanced chip sales.

For AMD, the message was clear: the company is betting heavily on the long‑term expansion of AI computing—and sees China as an important part of that future, even as the geopolitical environment remains complex.