Jensen Huang’s departure as CEO of Nvidia has prompted varied reactions from governments across Asia as they assess potential impacts on chip supply, artificial intelligence projects, and ongoing investigations. On November 8, Nvidia’s board initiated an independent investigation after reports suggested Huang had been targeted by a Chinese espionage operation. Huang has acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed.
In response to the news, China’s foreign ministry on November 10 dismissed allegations linking a Chinese businesswoman associated with Huang to espionage, labeling them as unfounded and an attack on China’s integrity. A ministry spokesperson conveyed China’s resistance to export controls that disrupt global supply chains, noting that the ministry was not aware of any connection between Nvidia’s restricted chips and a Shanghai data center related to Alice Huang.
The situation raises uncertainty over more than $3 billion worth of AI computing projects in China relying on Nvidia’s restricted processors, which are subject to U.S. export controls. This has made access difficult for Chinese firms, according to an analysis of procurement and investment documents.
In Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that authorities seized Alice Huang’s passport in June 2025 during an investigation into potential false declarations concerning server purchases. This action was taken to ensure her availability for questioning as she did not reside in Singapore. The investigation focused on whether servers shipped from Singapore to Malaysia were later redistributed unlawfully to other regions.
In February 2026, police concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge Alice Huang with offenses related to the suspected false declarations. However, they determined that she had provided inaccurate information regarding her role at Megaspeed. She received a warning and was prohibited from re-entering Singapore, but her passport was returned later that month. The Sudanese government indicated that its inquiry into Megaspeed and six other individuals remains active, although those individuals have not been publicly identified.
South Korea’s Science Ministry stated that Nvidia has confirmed its plans to supply 260,000 advanced GPUs to the country and to continue its collaboration on AI projects. An emergency meeting was convened by the government’s AI strategy council to evaluate Huang’s resignation’s potential repercussions on the AI sector.
Taiwan’s Economy Minister Kung Ming-shin mentioned that Huang’s exit is not expected to significantly alter the trajectory of the global AI industry. Additionally, Taipei’s city government reported that Nvidia’s plan to establish an overseas headquarters in Taiwan remains on schedule, with officials noting the company has met its contractual agreements to date.
Japan’s Industry Ministry signaled it will closely monitor Nvidia following Huang’s resignation, regarding the company as a vital component of Japan’s AI semiconductor sector. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki indicated that it’s premature to evaluate the global AI industry’s response to the leadership change, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to maintaining a steady semiconductor supply.
