Nvidia boss spy allegations draw China backlash

Allegations involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy have drawn criticism from Chinese state media and the Chinese foreign ministry.

Nvidia’s board is probing Huang after media reports alleged he had an affair with tech executive Alice Huang. The New York Times reported last month that U.S. intelligence officials found Alice Huang, who was linked to Singapore-based data centre company Megaspeed, had been funnelling information to Beijing.

China’s foreign ministry on Monday called the reports “entirely baseless vilification and smearing”.

The state-run Global Times questioned why the story had emerged after what it called the “hard-won detente” between Beijing and Washington, following a September meeting between the two countries’ presidents. “Is someone behind the scenes pushing an agenda and stirring up confrontation?” it asked in an editorial.

Jensen Huang, 63, is Taiwanese-born. Alice Huang is not related to him. Jensen Huang acknowledged the affair and apologised to his family and Nvidia staff in a message on the company’s website on Sunday. He wrote: “I support the investigation and will cooperate fully.”

The affair went viral on Chinese social media, with several related topics trending on Weibo on Monday. People interviewed by AFP in Beijing were mostly unaware of the matter and expressed scepticism about claims linking Huang to a Chinese spy.