A tech mogul and an alleged Chinese spy, side by side....in this footage from last year. To the left, Jensen Huang, head of Nvidia, currently the most valuable company in the world. To his right, Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang—who US intelligence believes wasn’t who she seemed.
American surveillance watched the pair...and after around a week of media speculation about their relationship, Huang has now apologized for being unfaithful to his wife.
It’s uncertain what information Alice Huang may have collected or passed on to China. Beijing says she wasn’t a spy. But what is clear is that Nvidia’s chips are a flashpoint in the US-China AI race.
Nvidia’s board says it doesn’t believe its CEO’s actions compromised trade secrets or US national security but it has launched an investigation.
The response in Washington has been mixed.
DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT:
"I think he's an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it. You have to hear it. No, you can't do that with people. He was, he's done an amazing job for our country."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who the New York Times says warned about the liaison, had this to say.
MARCO RUBIO, US SECRETARY OF STATE:
"I can't comment on any of that. I just can't comment because of the nature of it. And I also can't comment on an internal corporate matter that's going on with Nvidia as you highlight. I don't know anything about that part of it. So…"
But none of this means the US government is reassured. On Thursday, Republican committee chairs summoned Jensen Huang for a joint briefing on November 18... behind closed doors. Both Nvidia’s board...and Congress...have questions.
Justin Wu and John Van Trieste for TaiwanPlus.
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