China denies US report of suspected spy targeting Nvidia CEO

China on Friday slams a reported US intelligence allegations that a suspected Chinese spy had targeted Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, dismissing the claims as “groundless speculation” aimed at smearing Beijing. “The relevant report is based on groundless speculation and [is] purely aimed at smearing and slandering China,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular media briefing in Beijing. The tese reaction came after US outlet The New York Times reported on Thursday that US intelligence agencies had identified a Chinese businesswoman, Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, as a suspected Chinese asset who had approached and tried to develop a close business relationship with the Nvidia chief.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that a Chinese businesswoman who developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was a Chinese intelligence asset and funnelled information to Beijing, according to a New York Times report. The woman, identified in the report as Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is a Chinese citizen and senior executive at Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed.The findings raised concerns about whether she could have obtained insights into US President Donald Trump's thinking on an issue central to US-China relations or information about Nvidia, said the report published on Thursday.Megaspeed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The allegations come amid heightened US scrutiny of chip exports to China, as Washington seeks to restrict Beijing’s access to premium chips critical to training advanced artificial intelligence models, citing national security concerns. Megaspeed had previously come under US scrutiny over suspicions that the company was helping China circumvent US export controls on advanced semiconductors, the report said, citing anonymous officials with access to classified intelligence.