China has rejected allegations that Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive suspected by US intelligence of working for Beijing, was recruited to gather information from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Nvidia's board has launched an independent investigation, saying it has no reason to believe the company's trade secrets or US national security have been compromised.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of Megaspeed and could strengthen efforts in Washington to tighten restrictions on advanced AI chip exports to China.
China has rejected allegations that its intelligence agencies attempted to use a suspected operative to gather information from Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, describing claims involving the American semiconductor executive as “unsubstantiated” and an attempt to smear Beijing. The response comes as the controversy surrounding Huang's reported relationship with a businesswoman suspected of working for Chinese intelligence intensifies in the United States.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations on Monday, November 9, after reports suggested that US intelligence officials believed Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based technology company Megaspeed, had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information about the Nvidia chief.
“The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China,” Guo said at a regular press briefing. Beijing had previously rejected similar reports, describing them as groundless speculation.
The allegations were detailed in a report by The New York Times, which said US intelligence officials had identified Alice Huang as a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. The businesswoman, also known as Huang Le, reportedly developed a close relationship with Jensen Huang. She is not related to the Nvidia chief.
The claims have not been independently established, and there is no public evidence that Jensen Huang knowingly participated in an intelligence operation.
Nvidia Opens Independent Investigation Into Alleged Spy Links
The controversy prompted Nvidia's board of directors to announce an independent investigation on November 8. The inquiry is being overseen by independent directors and supported by external legal advisers.
In a statement, the board said it had no reason to believe that the company's trade secrets or US national security had been compromised. It nevertheless said the investigation would examine the available information. Huang has pledged to cooperate with the inquiry.
Huang separately acknowledged in a letter to Nvidia employees that he had been unfaithful to his wife, apologising to his family, colleagues and the company's board. He did not identify the woman involved. US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the FBI was examining the matter and that Huang had told him he did not know the woman was allegedly a spy.
Megaspeed Controversy Raises Concerns Over US-China AI Rivalry
The allegations have also drawn attention to Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company that has faced US scrutiny over concerns that advanced Nvidia chips may have been diverted to Chinese customers in violation of American export restrictions.
Nvidia has previously said that its interactions with Megaspeed were ordinary business dealings and that regional cloud customers did not receive sensitive trade secrets or information relevant to national security.
The controversy has intensified debate in Washington over China's access to advanced American semiconductors. Reuters reported that the allegations could strengthen congressional efforts to introduce tighter restrictions on AI chip exports to China and expand oversight of technology transfers.
