China dismisses a spy plot claim involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as
smear campaign
[November 09, 2026] By
HUIZHONG WU
BANGKOK (AP) — China denied on Monday there was a spy plot attempt to
ensnare Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, calling the spying allegations
unsubstantiated and a smear campaign against Beijing.
Huang has acknowledged to the Nvidia board that he had been intimate
with a business executive who U.S. intelligence determined was gathering
information for Beijing, according to The New York Times.
“The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing
but smears against China,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo
Jiakun said on Monday.
Also on Monday, Nvidia shares dropped roughly 5% in pre-market trading.
The chips company CEO is at the center of a controversy over whether he
drove sales of advanced computer chips to China, in spite of U.S. tech
restrictions aimed at limiting China’s ability to access these advanced
technologies. Nvidia is one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded
companies, alongside Apple and Microsoft.
Nvidia said on Sunday that the company would launch an investigation
into the case. Huang did not name the person in the extramarital affair.
China had previously denied the New York Times report that said Huang
had developed a close relationship with a Chinese citizen named Alice
Huang, who ran a company that faced claims of smuggling advanced chips
into China, and that she was a spy for Beijing.
“The key questions are whether he was aware of any espionage activities
and whether any confidential or strategically sensitive information was
compromised,” said George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice
at The Asia Group, a Washington-based consultancy.
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang listens as President Donald Trump speaks
during an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Oct. 8, 2026, in
Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
 “Those questions require evidence
rather than speculation,” he added in a text message to reporters.
Huang had pushed to loosen chip sales restrictions to China in
recent years, successfully lobbying U.S. President Donald Trump to
allow his company to sell H200 chips this year. However, it is
uncertain if Beijing would allow Chinese companies to buy these
chips en masse. Nvidia said in a filing in August that it sold only
a small amount to China as such sales are restricted by the Chinese
government.
While those chips are not Nvidia's most cutting-edge models, they
are still advanced. Previously, Huang also lobbied Trump to sell the
less-advanced H20 chips, which were designed for the Chinese market
while complying with U.S. export restrictions.
Chinese media have largely focused on Huang admitting to the affair
and state media outlets have mainly echoed the official government
line. Some have said the New York Times report was aimed at
destabilizing U.S.-China relations.
“Whenever China-US relations begin to improve, there are often those
firing shots from the shadows,” the state-owned Global Times said.
___
Associated Press business writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong
contributed to this report.
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