China's influence wanes in global supercomputing rankings amid US restrictions

China's presence in the world of supercomputing has diminished significantly, according to the latest Top500 list. The number of Chinese systems on the prestigious ranking dropped to 62 from 134 in June 2023, marking a dramatic decline that coincides with the US Department of Commerce's decision to blacklist Inspur, a major Chinese supercomputer manufacturer, in March 2023.

The most recent Top500 list, released on November 18 by top500.org, showcases this sharp downturn in China's supercomputing capabilities. Meanwhile, the US has strengthened its position, with its representation increasing from 150 to 172 systems.

While China maintains its position as the second-largest host of Top500 systems, its lead over third-ranked Germany continues to shrink. According to top500.org, despite China and the US remaining the top two countries on the list, China's participation has notably decreased. The organization noted that similar to the list published in June 2023, China did not contribute any new machines to the Top500.

In terms of manufacturing, Chinese supercomputers are primarily produced by domestic firms, notably Lenovo and Inspur. Lenovo, leveraging its global presence, maintains a strong position with 161 systems in the top 500. However, Inspur, which primarily focuses on the Chinese market, has seen its Top500 representation decline over the past two years.

This reduction in Inspur-manufactured supercomputers on the Top500 list can likely be attributed to the US Commerce Department's Entity List designation in March 2023. Additionally, broader US export controls on advanced chips and semiconductor equipment have potentially constrained China's ability to develop and deploy high-performance computing systems.

In a notable development, Nvidia's Grace CPUs have emerged as a significant force in the supercomputing landscape, powering nine systems on the latest Top500 list. The industry has also seen increased adoption of accelerators and co-processors, including those from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, contributing to ongoing advancement in high-performance computing.

Source: top500.org, November 2024

Source: top500.org, November 2024

Source: top500.org, November 2024

Source: top500.org, November 2024