World

China Denies Spy Allegations Against Nvidia CEO, Calls Claims Unfounded

By Garvit Bhirani

China rejected allegations that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was involved in a spy plot, calling the claims baseless and accusing the accusers of attempting to malign Beijing. The denial came after a New York Times report said Huang had informed Nvidia’s board that he had been intimate with a business executive whom U.S. intelligence agencies had identified as gathering information on behalf of Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations as “nothing but smears against China.” Nvidia’s board launched an independent investigation into reports that Huang may have been the target of a foreign intelligence effort. Nvidia shares fell about 5% in pre‑market trading on Monday. The CEO has faced scrutiny over allegations that he helped facilitate sales of the company’s advanced chips to China despite U.S. technology restrictions. In recent years, Huang has advocated easing restrictions on chip exports to China, leading President Donald Trump to permit Nvidia to sell its H200 chips to China this year. The H200 chips are not Nvidia’s most advanced offerings but still fall within the category of sophisticated computing technology. Chinese media coverage has largely focused on Huang’s admission of an extramarital relationship, while state‑run outlets have reiterated Beijing’s official position on the allegations. Some Chinese media organisations have suggested that the New York Times report was intended to undermine improving relations between Washington and Beijing. The state‑owned Global Times noted that whenever China‑U.S. relations begin to improve, there are often those firing shots from the shadows. Nvidia said on Sunday that it would investigate the matter. Huang did not identify the person involved in the alleged extramarital relationship. Nvidia is one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies, alongside Apple and Microsoft.