Is Alice Huang a Chinese spy? US intelligence agencies yet to reach conclusion: Report
Intelligence gathered so far has not established that the businesswoman acted on Beijing's behalf, with US officials divided over her alleged links to China
US intelligence agencies have yet to establish whether Alice Huang, the Chinese businesswoman who had an affair with former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, was acting as a spy for Beijing.
According to a report by CNN quoting sources, intelligence gathered so far does not prove she was spying for the Chinese government.
Officials divided over ‘spy’ question
Officials reportedly disagreed over whether China's Ministry of State Security recruited Alice Huang to obtain information from Jensen Huang and, indirectly, US policymakers. The FBI has pursued inquiries into the affair for at least a year.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday (November 12) there were still “no conclusions reached by the Department of Justice, or by me, or by [FBI] Director Patel around who she is or is not.”
Also Read: ‘Whatever’, ‘I don’t care’: A peek into Jensen Huang’s final hours before Nvidia exit
President Donald Trump also stopped short of confirming whether she was a spy. “Well, the big thing is, was the woman a spy? And I don’t know if that’s been determined yet,” Trump said.
“But if the woman was a spy, yes. If the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different,” he added.
US agencies question evidence of Chinese links
According to the report, some officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, including people close to director Jay Clayton, consider the description of Alice Huang as a Chinese spy overstated.
CIA officials are also not convinced that intercepted communications prove she knowingly sent information to Beijing.
Also Read: Jensen Huang steps down as Nvidia CEO; ‘had affair with a second employee’
However, a section of Trump administration officials told CNN that it was difficult to believe she was not acting for the Chinese government, given her position as a Chinese businesswoman working with one of America's most powerful companies.
Chinese national security law allows authorities to compel citizens to gather intelligence for the Communist Party, the report stated.
Probe puts focus on Nvidia chip exports
The dispute has also raised questions about US controls on chip exports. Alice Huang's Singapore-based company, Megaspeed, is a major buyer of Nvidia chips. The Justice Department and Commerce Department began a probe into the firm in 2024, amid concerns that foreign shell companies were diverting restricted chips to China.
Also Read: Who could replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia CEO? The names in the frame
White House officials have reportedly asked why Commerce did not place Megaspeed on the entity list while the probe continued. The list restricts trade with firms considered threats to US national security or foreign policy.
Jensen Huang resigned on Wednesday (November 11) after reports of the affair with Alice Huang. Reports also emerged of a separate affair with an Nvidia subordinate.