Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is under investigation after US intelligence determined that a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair was a Chinese spy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the allegations "fabricated" at a press briefing Thursday and accused the US of using "so-called spy narratives" as a pretext for a "technological blockade." Mao said China pursued progress through independent innovation and open cooperation, and expressed willingness to work with the US on tech restrictions following a recent trade deal between Presidents Trump and Xi.
Huang co-founded Nvidia, which supplies chips powering artificial intelligence systems. The woman was identified as Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed. US officials believe she worked for Chinese intelligence. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the claims as "entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China." Megaspeed said Thursday it takes US export control obligations "extremely seriously" and is committed to working with the government.
Huang has spent years lobbying against restrictions on chip sales to China. Trump cleared Nvidia's H200 chips for export to China last year despite objections from lawmakers concerned about Chinese AI dominance. Nvidia launched an investigation into Huang on Sunday. The company's succession plan remains unclear.