Chip export to China will continue despite Nvidia spying allegations, an expert says
US-China meetings may get a bit awkward, though.
Dan Wang. Image by Cybernews
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- Dan Wang says Nvidia chip exports to China will continue despite spying allegations.
- The case may make US-China commercial meetings harder and raise compliance costs.
- Alice Huang reportedly helped move 240,000 banned Nvidia chips into China.
- China denies the spying allegation, while Nvidia has opened an independent investigation.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
China expert Dan Wang says the Nvidia spying case will make meetings between American and Chinese stakeholders harder, but won’t alter the course of AI development.
Wang is China Director at Eurasia Group, a global political risk consultancy. Speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon, she addressed recent allegations that Beijing spied on Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, the world’s leading maker of AI chips.
Huang admitted having an affair with Alice Huang, a former executive of Singapore-based company Megaspeed, who, according to US intelligence agencies, was a Chinese asset passing information to Beijing.
Wang predicts that high-end chip exports to China will continue and that the allegations won’t alter the course of AI development.
However, the tensions will make commercial meetings between Chinese and American counterparts harder, especially for government-related stakeholders, by raising compliance costs.
While commercial espionage is not a new problem, Wang says compliance costs will rise because Nvidia is at the heart of the US-China AI competition.
Nvidia began exporting its cutting-edge H200 graphics processing units (GPUs), considered the world’s most advanced AI semiconductors, to China in mid 2026 despite a tense AI race between Washington and Beijing.
Alice Huang reportedly played a major role in facilitating imports of Nvidia’s H100 and H200 GPUs, helping move 240,000 banned chips into China, according to The Information.
The outlet describes her as “instrumental” in helping Beijing purchase AI GPUs worth $7.5 billion.
Wang emphasizes that China lacks computing power, which makes its ecosystem distinct from the US'.
The discussion between Trump and Xi was concentrated on whether China can or wants to import more Nvidia’s H200 chips. China didn't commit to more because it wants to focus on self-sufficiency,Dan Wang, China Director at Eurasia Group
The full impact of the Nvidia spying case is yet to be seen, but experts say it could lead to major changes in AI regulation, including tighter controls on China's access to AI chips.
China rejected the spying allegation as “groundless,” while Nvidia started an independent investigation into Huang’s affair.
The annual Web Summit in Lisbon, which attracts thousands of tech leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, focuses on AI, robotics, and global tech shifts. The 2026 event attracted the largest Chinese delegation in its history.
