Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces bipartisan congressional scrutiny over his alleged relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, with lawmakers demanding investigations and questioning Trump administration knowledge of the matter. Three House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Huang on Wednesday requesting a closed-door briefing on Nov. 18, a day after Nvidia's scheduled third-quarter earnings report. Sen. Chris Coons posted Saturday that Congress will investigate the relationship between the Trump administration, Chinese spies, and AI billionaires, while the Trump administration received an intelligence memo last spring identifying Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and Megaspeed executive, as recruited by China's Ministry of State Security.
House Republicans Request Huang Briefing on Nov. 18
Three House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Huang on Wednesday requesting that he sit for a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on Nov. 18. "Recent reports raise significant national security concerns regarding the [People's Republic of China's] access to sensitive U.S. technology and information," the GOP lawmakers wrote in the letter to Huang. The briefing is scheduled one day after Nvidia is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings.
Trump Administration Received Intelligence Memo Last Spring
Policymakers in the Trump administration received a memo last spring with intelligence identifying Alice Huang as having been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security and revealing her relationship with Nvidia's chief executive, The New York Times first reported on Friday. Alice Huang is a Chinese citizen and executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based tech company that the U.S. has suspected of helping China circumvent artificial intelligence chip sales prohibitions.
Commerce Department Approved Chinese Firm for Beijing Chip Assembly
The Trump administration approved a Chinese firm, New Matrix, to assemble chips for Nvidia in Beijing, according to a Times article published Saturday. The Times found little evidence of meaningful operations at New Matrix's listed address, despite Trump's Commerce Department clearing it for national security risks. Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn called the report "outrageous" in his post on X.
Nvidia Spokesman Declines Comment on Briefing Appearance
When asked by the Times whether Huang would appear before lawmakers to discuss the matter, Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo declined to comment. "Our chief executive has an outstanding security team that accompanies him where needed," Rizzo said in a statement to the Times. Rizzo said the Nvidia CEO's interactions with Alice Huang were consistent with meetings he has had with any of Nvidia's customers, the Times reported.
Democratic Lawmakers Call for Investigation
Sen. Chris Coons posted on X on Saturday: "The more I learn about the insane relationship between the Trump Administration, Chinese spies, and AI billionaires, the more I'm convinced there is nothing this administration does that isn't corrupt. Congress will investigate and get answers." Coons is in line to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when his party takes control of the chamber in January. Rep. Seth Magaziner, who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security, called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before Congress along with Huang.
FAQ
What did House Republicans request from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang?
Three House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Huang on Wednesday requesting that he sit for a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on Nov. 18, a day after Nvidia is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings, regarding reports that raise significant national security concerns about China's access to sensitive U.S. technology.
What intelligence did the Trump administration receive about Alice Huang?
Policymakers in the Trump administration received a memo last spring with intelligence identifying Alice Huang as having been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security and revealing her relationship with Nvidia's chief executive, according to The New York Times.
How did Nvidia respond to questions about the congressional briefing?
Nvidia spokesman John Rizzo declined to comment when asked whether Huang would appear before lawmakers, stating that "Our chief executive has an outstanding security team that accompanies him where needed," and that the CEO's interactions with Alice Huang were consistent with meetings he has had with any of Nvidia's customers.
