Asianfin--Chinese AI chipmaker Cambricon Technologies Corp. surged to its 20% daily limit on Monday, driving a rally across the sector. This boost follows Bloomberg News’ report that Beijing is intensifying pressure on domestic companies to replace Nvidia Corp. processors with local alternatives. As the largest publicly traded designer of chips essential for AI development, Cambricon experienced heavy trading, achieving the maximum allowable gain. The company led a group of chip manufacturers that were among the top performers on the benchmark CSI 300 index. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. soared nearly 20% in Shanghai, while Naura Technology Group Co., a equipment manufacturer, rose 9%. Chinese regulators have been advising companies against acquiring Nvidia's H20 chips, which are critical for developing and running AI models, Bloomberg reported late Friday. This approach is more of a recommendation than a formal ban, as Beijing aims to avoid hampering its own AI startups while also managing its tensions with the United States.