US China hawks use Nvidia CEO affair to push for stricter AI chip export controls

The scandal involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's admitted affair with a woman US intelligence believes was a Chinese spy is fueling renewed pressure from China hawks in Washington for stricter export controls on advanced AI chips to China. Hawks had been frustrated with President Donald Trump's decision to approve Nvidia's H200 chip exports to China last year, and they now see an opportunity to push for more aggressive policies. Republican lawmakers have requested a closed-door briefing with Huang on November 18, and some may feel freer to break with Trump following the party's loss of Congress. Tighter export rules could risk the trade truce between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, potentially inviting retaliatory action from Beijing. The FBI is investigating the spying allegations, while the Justice Department is probing whether Megaspeed smuggled Nvidia chips into China, though both Megaspeed and Beijing deny the claims.