A general view of the Baidu logo is seen at the Shanghai New Expo Center during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025 in Shanghai, China, on July 28, 2025.
Chinese tech giant Baidu plans to spin off its artificial intelligence chip subsidiary, Kunlunxin, and list it in Hong Kong, as more domestic chipmakers seek funds amid Beijing's push for semiconductor self-sufficiency.
The company said in an announcement Friday that it had confidentially filed a listing application on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, though details of the offering, including size and structure, remain undecided.
The move would still require regulatory approvals, including from China's securities watchdog. Baidu emphasized there is no guarantee the spin-off will proceed. The company reportedly owns about 59% of Kunlunxin.
Baidu, a major player in China's growing AI space, is both a buyer of specialized AI chips for data centers and cloud computing, as well as a designer of them through Kunlunxin.
The firm said that the spin-off would align with its strategy to highlight Kunlunxin's standalone potential, attract sector-specific investors, and expand financing options. Kunlunxin would remain a Baidu subsidiary, it added.
The move comes against a backdrop of intensifying U.S.-China tech tensions. Both Washington and Beijing have imposed various restrictions on Chinese AI companies' access to leading-edge AI chips from California-based Nvidia .
Meanwhile, Beijing has increasingly encouraged domestic chip purchases and mobilized billions in public funds towards development.
In recent months, several Chinese chipmakers have announced plans to list, including Moore Threads and Biren Technology.