China has rejected allegations of a Chinese espionage operation focusing on Nvidia’s chief govt, Jensen Huang, describing the claims as “groundless speculation”.
US intelligence officers believe that Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman linked to Singapore-based knowledge centre firm Megaspeed, was gathering info for Beijing on the US chip-making giant, according to a report by The New York Times, exterior.
The report said Alice Huang, who is of no relation to Jensen Huang, was under investigation over the potential diversion of superior Nvidia AI chips to China and had developed a close relationship with Jensen.
Nvidia said their interactions were routine business engagements, while Beijing accused Washington of making an attempt to smear China. Alice Huang did not reply to the paper’s request for remark.
The BBC has contacted Megaspeed and the White House for remark.
US intelligence companies had been monitoring Alice Huang and concluded that she was appearing on behalf of the Chinese authorities, according to unnamed sources cited by The New York Times.
Surveillance reportedly revealed communications between Alice Huang and an American citizen, who was subsequently recognized as Jensen Huang through a course of recognized as “unmasking”.
It stays unclear what info Alice Huang – who is also recognized as Huang Le – allegedly handed to Beijing, how worthwhile it was, or when she is believed to have begun gathering intelligence.
At a common briefing on Friday, Chinese overseas ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: “The report in question is based on groundless speculation and is nothing more than an attempt to smear China.”
The paper’s report comes amid longstanding US issues about China’s access to superior computing technology, which is thought-about essential to developing artificial intelligence systems.
Jensen Huang has argued that permitting Nvidia to promote more of its merchandise to China is important for sustaining US competitiveness in the world AI industry.
But Washington has restricted exports of the most superior Nvidia chips to China since 2022, citing national security issues and the risk that the technology could strengthen China’s army operations. There have however been some loosening of restrictions during Trump’s administration.
US officers said they had caught several companies illegally trafficking the chips across the Chinese border. They have also investigated whether corporations working through third international locations are serving to Chinese companies access the restricted technology.
Nvidia has said it complies with relevant export legal guidelines and that there is no evidence its chips have been smuggled into China.
In response to the allegations made by the Times, John Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia, said: “Jensen’s interactions with Ms Huang are not unusual or unexpected”.
He said clients like Megaspeed “receive ordinary business information – not sensitive Nvidia trade secrets – and zero information relevant to national security.”
He added that allegations the Singaporean company was smuggling chips to China “were thoroughly investigated and debunked last year”.
Megaspeed advised the paper its present management took the allegations critically and had appointed exterior legal advisers to conduct an inside investigation. The company also said it had knowledgeable the US authorities that it was keen to cooperate.
It is unclear how intently Alice Huang stays concerned with Megaspeed.
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