Nvidia probe, China spy claims: Trump unlikely to confront Xi over Alice Huang

Next week, US President Donald Trump will engage with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit.

US President Donald Trump is unlikely to discuss allegations surrounding businesswoman Alice Huang, whose reported association with former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has triggered scrutiny over potential national security implications, with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting, US officials said on Friday. According to Reuters, Trump is scheduled to meet Xi next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, as part of a four-day Asian tour. The meeting comes amid growing scrutiny over allegations involving Alice Huang and her reported links to the former Nvidia chief. Despite semiconductor technology remaining a key point of contention between Washington and Beijing, US officials indicated that Trump does not intend to raise the controversy during his discussions with the Chinese leader. "With regard to certain national security matters, examinations and investigations currently underway in the US, it is probably not something we are going to brief the Chinese on at this stage," a senior Trump administration official told reporters. A second US official also said, "I don't expect the president to raise the Alice Huang issue." The officials were responding to questions about whether Trump planned to bring up the allegations involving Alice Huang during his meeting with Xi.

Nvidia launches independent investigation

The controversy has prompted Nvidia's independent board members to initiate an internal probe. On Tuesday, the board announced that it had appointed Wall Street law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct an independent investigation. The move followed reports by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal concerning Jensen Huang's reported relationship with Alice Huang and suspicions among US authorities that the businesswoman may have been spying for China. Beijing has denied allegations that Alice Huang is a spy. She could not be reached for comment, while Reuters said it had not independently verified whether she was working on behalf of the Chinese government. The US Justice Department has also clarified that it has not reached any conclusion regarding her alleged association with Beijing. In a statement issued on Sunday, Jensen Huang apologised for being unfaithful to his wife and disappointing the company. However, he did not explicitly mention Alice Huang. She previously served as a senior executive at Megaspeed International, an Nvidia customer. The two are not related.

Jensen Huang accompanied Trump on China visit in May

The controversy has also brought renewed attention to Jensen Huang's earlier engagement with the Trump administration.

In May, the former Nvidia chief accompanied Trump during his visit to China, where the US president held discussions with Xi Jinping on trade, technology and bilateral relations. Huang's presence during the visit underscored Nvidia's position in US-China technology relations, particularly as both countries compete for dominance in advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Nvidia remains a key player in the global AI chip industry, making its leadership, business relationships and dealings with China a matter of strategic interest for Washington and Beijing.