Nvidia Affair: China Accuses US of Tech Blockade Pretext

China accused the United States on Thursday of using new espionage allegations against Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang to justify limiting access to its technology. The comments came after reports linked a woman involved in Huang's personal life to Chinese intelligence services.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, addressed the issue during a regular briefing. She stated that China's technological progress stems from domestic innovation and international cooperation rather than spying. Mao urged Washington to stop creating

spy

narratives to excuse a technological blockade.

The situation traces back to Huang's admission of an extramarital affair. Reports identified his partner as Alice Huang, a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company. US officials reportedly believe Alice Huang worked for Chinese intelligence. The core of the dispute involves whether the Nvidia leader was targeted by a specific espionage operation, not just the existence of the relationship.

Beijing characterized the US allegations as groundless speculation and an attempt to smear China. The government linked these accusations directly to its ongoing dispute with Washington over access to advanced technology. This denial reinforces Beijing's position that the spying claims serve as a political tool rather than a factual finding.

Huang co-founded Nvidia, which now leads the global market for chips that power artificial intelligence. For years, he has lobbied against restrictions on selling advanced chips to China. This effort places the company's access to the Chinese market at the center of his business strategy.

Last year, US President Donald Trump approved exports of Nvidia's H200 chips to China. That decision drew opposition from hawks in both political parties who fear Beijing will dominate artificial intelligence technology. The current allegations emerged while US policymakers debate allowing China to purchase these advanced products.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet next week during the APEC gathering in Shenzhen, in southern China. The timing places the espionage controversy on the agenda just before this high-level diplomatic encounter.