China has rejected claims that it ran an espionage operation aimed at Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, calling the allegations “groundless speculation”. The claims come from a newspaper report that cites US intelligence officials, who believe a Chinese businesswoman was collecting information for Beijing about the American chipmaker.
The businesswoman, Alice Huang, is linked to Megaspeed, a data centre firm based in Singapore. According to the report, she is not related to Jensen Huang, was under investigation over the possible diversion of advanced Nvidia AI chips to China, and had built a close relationship with him. Nvidia described their contacts as routine business engagements. Alice Huang did not respond to a request for comment, and Megaspeed and the White House have been contacted for comment.
Beijing dismisses the espionage allegations
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun addressed the report at a regular briefing on Friday. He said it was built on speculation without basis and amounted to an attempt to discredit China. Beijing has accused Washington of trying to smear the country.
The report arrives against a backdrop of long-running US concern about China’s access to advanced computing technology. Such technology is widely seen as essential for building artificial intelligence systems. Jensen Huang has argued that letting Nvidia sell more of its products to China matters for keeping the United States competitive in the global AI industry.
Surveillance and the unmasking of an American citizen
Unnamed sources cited in the report said US intelligence agencies had monitored Alice Huang and concluded that she was acting for the Chinese government. Surveillance reportedly captured communications between her and an American citizen, who was later identified as Jensen Huang through a process known as “unmasking”.
It remains unclear what information Alice Huang, who is also known as Huang Le, allegedly passed to Beijing. Nor is it clear how valuable that material might have been, or when she is believed to have started gathering intelligence.
Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo responded to the newspaper’s claims by saying that “Jensen’s interactions with Ms Huang are not unusual or unexpected”. He said customers such as Megaspeed receive ordinary business information rather than sensitive trade secrets, and no information relevant to national security. He also said earlier allegations that the Singaporean company had smuggled chips into China “were thoroughly investigated and debunked last year”.
Export curbs and Megaspeed’s internal inquiry
Washington has restricted exports of the most advanced Nvidia chips to China since 2022, citing national security concerns and the risk that the technology could strengthen China’s military. Some of those restrictions have been eased during Trump’s administration. US officials said they had caught several firms illegally moving the chips across the Chinese border, and they have also examined whether companies operating through third countries are helping Chinese businesses reach the restricted technology.
Nvidia has said it complies with applicable export laws and that there is no evidence its chips have been smuggled into China. Megaspeed told the newspaper that its current leadership is taking the allegations seriously. It has appointed external legal advisers to conduct an internal investigation and has told the US government it is willing to cooperate.
It is unclear how closely Alice Huang remains involved with Megaspeed.
