Beijing slams 'fabricated' spy claims as Nvidia board drama builds

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Thursday that Washington should quit using unsubstantiated spying accusations as cover for restricting China's access to technology. "The US should stop fabricating espionage narratives to justify its technological blockade," she said, repeating Beijing's line that the claims amount to a smear campaign. Her remarks again rejected allegations swirling around Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.

Asked about reports that Megaspeed International founder Alice Huang is living in Beijing, Mao said she was "not aware of the situation." She added that China and the US remain in close communication before an expected meeting between their leaders next week, and said Beijing is ready to carry out agreements both presidents reached and keep ties stable on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity.

The pushback lands in the middle of a leadership crisis at Nvidia. Semafor reported Thursday that some directors favor naming Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO if the board removes founder Jensen Huang, though the full board had not decided and was scheduled to meet Wednesday evening. The same report said the company has already brought in an outside search firm to hunt for a successor.

Pressure on Huang follows a board-commissioned investigation into whether he may have disclosed company secrets. Elon Musk weighed in on X, saying it "would be an honor" to hire the Nvidia chief, while the Washington Post reported the White House is staying out of the board's decision. The Wall Street Journal said the board met after reports of a second alleged affair, sending Nvidia shares down over 7% in after-hours trading.

Elsewhere, South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo told a parliamentary committee Thursday that Seoul is closely watching the possibility of trilateral US-Russia-China talks on the sidelines of next week's APEC summit, Yonhap reported. "The possibility of discussions on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula cannot be ruled out," Park said.