China's access to Nvidia chips in doubt as curbs gain traction in US Congress

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WASHINGTON: United States House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday (Nov 12) there was growing consensus in Congress on limiting chip exports to China after a spy scandal forced out Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Huang stepped down after reports of a romantic relationship with a businesswoman whom US authorities suspect of spying for the Chinese government.

Lawmakers from both parties have since called for tougher restrictions on China's access to advanced artificial intelligence chips, threatening access to chips that underpin China's surging AI development.

Nvidia's advanced AI chips are widely used to develop cutting-edge AI models, making the company key to the US race against China to build superior AI systems. The US has sought for years to limit China’s access to Nvidia’s chips because it does not want the Chinese military to benefit from them.

"The export controls on chips to China has been a big issue around here," Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters at the US Capitol, adding he favoured limiting China's access to the advanced technology.

"I think there's a developing consensus in Congress that is an important position to take."

The Chinese businesswoman, Alice Huang, was an executive at Megaspeed, an Nvidia partner the US government suspects of helping China obtain advanced AI chips restricted under US export controls. Beijing has denied Alice Huang is a spy.

The case has revived claims among China critics in Washington that US export policies are too weak, boosting calls for more restrictions.

Reuters reported that Chinese AI companies are trying to rent ​Nvidia-powered computing capacity outside China because they are worried the Jensen Huang allegations could spur Washington to tighten restrictions on their ability to access the company's chips remotely.

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