Trump heads to China for APEC summit amid Nvidia CEO scandal

President Donald Trump travels to Shenzhen next week for the APEC summit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, amid a scandal involving Nvidia's outgoing CEO Jensen Huang, who faces scrutiny over alleged ties to Chinese intelligence. The trip's agenda may be affected by Huang's uncertain role in the delegation. Huang, a key Trump ally, pushed for easing US chip export restrictions to China, leading to December 2025 approval of H200 chip sales with 25 percent of proceeds going to the US government. His removal from Nvidia's board and the scandal are unlikely to immediately alter US-China relations, which analysts describe as a stalemate. Pressure for a tougher US line on China comes mainly from Congress, with Democrats set to control both houses in January. China denies the spy claims, calling them a pretext for a technology blockade, while analysts expect potential export control measures could strain relations in 2027.