Trump Probably Won’t Bring Up Alice Huang Case in Xi Meeting
US President Donald Trump is not anticipated to engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the case of a businesswoman whose connections to former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have prompted national security apprehensions, according to US officials on Friday. Trump is scheduled to engage with Xi next week during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China, as part of a four-day visit to Asia. The meeting will occur just days following Jensen Huang’s resignation as Nvidia CEO on Thursday, marking a significant decline from the pinnacle of the chip industry.
Despite the significant role of semiconductors in the tensions between the US and China, officials indicate that the US president is unlikely to address the most recent concerns with Xi at this time. “When it comes to some of these national security matters and examinations and investigations that are going on in the US, it’s probably not something that we’re going to read the Chinese in on at this moment,” one senior administration official told. A second US official added: “I don’t expect the president to raise it, the Alice Huang issue.”
The officials addressed an inquiry regarding whether Trump would bring up the allegations concerning Alice Huang in discussions with Xi. On Tuesday, the independent members of Nvidia’s board announced the engagement of the Wall Street law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to carry out an independent investigation. This decision follows reports regarding Jensen Huang’s connections with businesswoman Alice Huang, alongside US authorities’ concerns regarding her potential espionage activities for China.
The Justice Department has stated that it has not arrived at any conclusion regarding Alice Huang’s connection to the Chinese government. Jensen Huang issued an apology on Sunday, acknowledging his infidelity toward his wife and expressing regret for the disappointment caused to the company. His statement did not specifically identify Alice Huang, a former senior executive of Nvidia client Megaspeed International. The two entities exhibit no correlation.
