Elon Musk and Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach are expected to join President Donald Trump's delegation to China for the upcoming APEC summit in Shenzhen, but Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's participation remains uncertain, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.
The leaders' meeting, scheduled for November 18-19, comes as Huang faces an independent investigation by Nvidia's board into whether he was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The probe follows reports linking him to Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence officials of passing commercial information to Beijing.
Alice Huang previously held an executive position at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. A separate report by The Information alleged that she and her associates facilitated at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip shipments to Chinese companies.
Huang has acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees but did not disclose details of the relationship. He has been summoned by three House representatives on November 18 to answer questions around the matter.
Despite the controversy, Trump has publicly defended Huang. Asked on Sunday whether he would take Huang on his upcoming Asia trip, Trump responded, "I don't know, but I'd certainly take him." On Monday, Trump said he had spoken directly with Huang and asked whether he knew the businesswoman was allegedly a spy. "He said, 'I had no idea that she was a spy,' and I really believe him," Trump told reporters. Trump also said the FBI was looking into the matter and expressed confidence that Huang would be able to address the allegations.
Huang's potential participation is particularly important because Nvidia continues to face difficulties securing Chinese regulatory approval to sell its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in the country. The company's CEO has been actively involved in discussions with the Trump administration over US export restrictions and Nvidia's access to the Chinese market. His presence in the delegation could therefore have provided an opportunity to discuss technology trade and semiconductor access with Chinese officials.
Neither Nvidia, Tesla, Mastercard nor the White House has publicly confirmed the final composition of Trump's delegation. The uncertainty surrounding Huang's attendance adds another layer of complexity to Nvidia's already strained relations with China, a key market for its AI chips.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
