China on Monday dismissed allegations of a spy plot targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as unsubstantiated and a smear campaign against Beijing. Huang had acknowledged an intimate relationship with a business executive whom U.S. intelligence linked to China
BY PC Bureau
November 9: Beijing on Monday rejected claims of a spy plot involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, dismissing the accusations as unfounded and part of a smear campaign against China.
According to a report by The New York Times, Huang informed Nvidia’s board that he had been involved in an intimate relationship with a business executive whom U.S. intelligence identified as gathering information on behalf of Beijing.
“The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
BREAKING: China denies its intelligence services were involved in the @Nvidia CEO allegations, calling them “smears.”
New York Times: Jensen Huang told Nvidia’s board about a relationship with an executive suspected by U.S. intelligence of collecting information for Beijing.
— Tokens on Solana (@tokens) November 9, 2026
Nvidia shares fell approximately 5% in pre-market trading on Monday following the developments.
Huang has also faced scrutiny over whether he pushed sales of advanced computer chips to China in defiance of U.S. export restrictions intended to limit Beijing’s access to cutting-edge technology. Nvidia is among the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies, alongside Apple and Microsoft.
The company said on Sunday that it would launch an internal investigation into the matter. Huang did not name the individual involved in the extramarital relationship.
China had previously denied the New York Times report, which stated that Huang had developed a close relationship with a Chinese citizen named Alice Huang. She headed a company accused of smuggling advanced chips into China and was alleged to have been working as a spy for Beijing.
READ: Who Is Alice Huang? The Chinese Woman at the Centre of Nvidia’s Espionage Row
“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. “Those questions require evidence rather than speculation,” he added.
In recent years, Huang has advocated for easing U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China. He successfully lobbied President Donald Trump to allow Nvidia to sell H200 chips this year. However, it remains uncertain whether Chinese authorities would permit domestic companies to purchase them in significant volumes. In an August filing, Nvidia reported that it had sold only a limited quantity of chips to China due to restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.
🚨🇺🇸🇨🇳 The Chinese Connection Among America’s Tech Billionaires?
🤯 Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg & Larry Ellison have Chinese-born wives.
👀 @Grok Are all these girls Chinese spy? https://t.co/xz8PXlLbAH
— Samridhi (@samridhi_i) November 9, 2026
While the H200 chips are not Nvidia’s most advanced models, they remain highly capable. Huang had earlier also pressed for approval to sell the less-powerful H20 chips, which were designed specifically for the Chinese market in compliance with U.S. export rules.
Chinese media coverage has largely focused on Huang’s admission of the affair, with state outlets echoing the official government position. Some suggested the New York Times report was aimed at damaging 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.
