Nvidia scandal reaches Washington - NHKニュース

The resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has sparked growing scrutiny. Now, US media say the controversy is reaching the White House. They are reporting that officials are questioning the commerce secretary's handling of the issue.

Huang resigned his post on Thursday after reports emerged that he had an affair with a suspected Chinese spy. The woman was an executive at a data-center company based in Singapore called Megaspeed International. She allegedly had ties to Beijing's intelligence service.

The US restricts exports of Nvidia's advanced chips to China for national security reasons. However, some are believed to have been routed through Megaspeed.

The New York Times reports that criticism is growing within the Trump administration, with some officials blaming Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for failing to control exports. It says he frequently communicated with Huang, and all matters involving Nvidia were "treated differently" through separate channels in the department.

News site Axios reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "confronted" Lutnick at a meeting in the White House last week. It says Bessent pressed him on why Megaspeed had not been added to a list of companies that pose risks.

Lawmakers in Congress are demanding answers as well.