China has rejected claims that a woman linked to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang worked for Chinese intelligence and gathered information for Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the reports as baseless and defamatory.
“The claim of Chinese espionage is unfounded. It is nothing more than slander against China,” Guo Jiakun said.The comment came after reports in US media that American intelligence had identified a Chinese business executive as someone who had passed information to Chinese authorities. The woman was identified as Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le. She had been an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed International, which is an Nvidia customer.
What the reports claim
The New York Times reported that Alice Huang had developed a close relationship with Jensen Huang and was suspected of gathering information for Beijing. According to the reports, Megaspeed had come under scrutiny over concerns related to the delivery of advanced chips to China.
The claims have not been publicly confirmed by US authorities through the filing of charges or an official statement. Alice Huang and Megaspeed International have not publicly commented on the case.
Nvidia launches independent investigation
Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation after Jensen Huang acknowledged to the directors that he had had a personal relationship with a business executive. He did not name the woman. Huang said he took full responsibility for his actions and would cooperate with the investigation.
Nvidia’s board said there was no reason to believe that national security or company secrets had been compromised. Huang will remain CEO, while company spokesperson John Rizzo said the latest developments would not delay Nvidia’s work.
The case is unfolding against the backdrop of intense technological rivalry between the US and China and US restrictions on the export of advanced computing chips to China. Nvidia is one of the leading manufacturers of processors used to develop and train artificial intelligence systems.
Sources: apnews.com, abcnews.com