US Congress Summons NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Over Alleged Chinese Espionage Links

NVIDIA chief executive Jensen Huang has been drawn into a growing national security controversy following reports that US intelligence officials suspect a woman he was romantically involved with had links to China's intelligence services.

The woman, identified as Alice Huang, reportedly worked as an executive at Megaspeed, a technology company under investigation for allegedly helping Chinese businesses circumvent US restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports.

According to the allegations, US intelligence believes Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country's principal intelligence agency, with a possible objective of gathering information about the NVIDIA chief and influencing the company's position on US chip export controls.

The reports have raised concerns because Huang has repeatedly lobbied US officials over the past year to ease restrictions on the sale of advanced AI chips to China.

US intelligence officials reportedly prepared a memorandum detailing the suspected relationship and circulated it among senior government officials shortly before President Donald Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump had allegedly been briefed on the suspected espionage operation but chose not to take action. Huang has met with Trump several times and reportedly travelled aboard the presidential aircraft during a trip to China.

The controversy also centres on Megaspeed's business activities. Its Malaysian affiliate reportedly purchased at least $4.8 billion worth of equipment containing NVIDIA chips between June 2024 and February 2026.

Federal authorities have been investigating the company since 2024, with the US Department of Justice reportedly taking over an earlier Commerce Department investigation this year.

Investigators allegedly discovered NVIDIA equipment inside boxes that appeared ready for shipment rather than installed in operational data centres. Alice Huang's name was also reportedly removed from Megaspeed's corporate documents as scrutiny of the company intensified, although her current involvement remains unclear.

NVIDIA has maintained that it investigated Megaspeed's deployment of its chips and found no evidence of illegal diversion.

Meanwhile, three congressional committee chairmen are demanding that Huang appear for a closed-door briefing on November 18 to address the allegations.

Despite the growing controversy, there is currently no publicly established evidence that Huang knowingly cooperated with Chinese intelligence or that the alleged operation successfully influenced US government policy.

The case has nevertheless raised serious questions about the intersection of corporate influence, national security and Washington's efforts to restrict China's access to advanced artificial intelligence technology.