China denies allegations of spy operation targeting Nvidia CEO
US intelligence officials believe a Chinese businesswoman was gathering information for Beijing on the US chip-making giant, The New York Times reports.
China has denied claims that it ran a spy operation aimed at Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, calling the allegations “groundless speculation”.
According to a report by The New York Times, US intelligence officials believe that Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman connected to Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed, was collecting information for Beijing about the US chip giant. The report said Alice Huang, who is not related to Jensen Huang, was being investigated over the possible diversion of advanced Nvidia AI chips to China and had formed a close relationship with Jensen.
Nvidia told the newspaper that their contacts were routine business dealings, while Beijing accused Washington of trying to smear China. Alice Huang did not reply to the paper’s request for comment.
Unnamed sources cited by The New York Times said US intelligence agencies had been tracking Alice Huang and concluded she was acting on behalf of the Chinese government.
The surveillance reportedly uncovered communications between Alice Huang and an American citizen, later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as “unmasking”.
It is still unclear what information Alice Huang — also known as Huang Le — is alleged to have passed to Beijing, how significant it was, or when she is thought to have started gathering intelligence.
At a regular briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: “The report in question is based on groundless speculation and is nothing more than an attempt to smear China.”
Responding to the Times’ allegations, Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo said: “Jensen's interactions with Ms Huang are not unusual or unexpected”.
He said customers such as Megaspeed “receive ordinary business information - not sensitive Nvidia trade secrets - and zero information relevant to national security.”
He added that claims the Singaporean company was smuggling chips to China “were thoroughly investigated and debunked last year”.
The report comes amid long-running US concerns over China’s access to advanced computing technology, which is seen as vital to the development of artificial intelligence systems.
Jensen Huang has argued that letting Nvidia sell more of its products to China is important for preserving US competitiveness in the global AI industry.
However, Washington has restricted exports of Nvidia’s most advanced chips to China since 2022, citing national security concerns and the risk that the technology could bolster China’s military operations. There have, however, been some loosening of restrictions during Trump’s administration.
US officials said they had intercepted several firms illegally moving the chips across the Chinese border. They have also examined whether companies operating through third countries are helping Chinese businesses obtain the restricted technology.
Nvidia has said it follows applicable export laws and that there is no evidence its chips have been smuggled into China.
Megaspeed said its current leadership took the allegations seriously and had hired external legal advisers to carry out an internal investigation. The company also said it had informed the US government that it was prepared to cooperate.
It remains unclear how closely Alice Huang is still involved with Megaspeed.