technology ·
Trump heads to China amid Nvidia scandal: Will he get tougher on Beijing?
The trip comes as Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s outgoing chief executive and one of Trump’s closest allies in Silicon Valley, faces mounting scrutiny over his relationship with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive whom US officials suspect of working for Chinese intelligence.
On Thursday, Nvidia unveiled that Huang would step down as chief executive. Huang accompanied Trump on his May visit to Beijing.
His presence mattered for Nvidia, which has struggled to secure approval to sell its H200 AI chips in China. Now, his place in the next delegation is in doubt.
So could Trump’s closeness to Huang push his administration towards a tougher line on China? Here’s what you need to know: As founder and CEO of Nvidia, Huang pushed Washington to ease restrictions on the sale of advanced chips to China, arguing that wider use of US technology would help Washington hold onto its lead in AI development.
In December 2025, Trump did approve sales of the H200, Nvidia’s second-most powerful chip, to China, with 25 percent of proceeds to be paid to the US government. He did so despite opposition from China hawks in both parties.
