Trump Travels to China as Nvidia CEO Steps Down Amid Scrutiny

Will the Nvidia scandal harden US policy toward Beijing?

Jensen Huang's departure from Nvidia and scrutiny over his personal ties are unlikely to disrupt relations between Washington and Beijing immediately. Singapore-based geopolitical analyst Steve Okun told Al Jazeera that the current diplomatic dynamic remains a stalemate at best.

Gabriel Wildau, managing director at the advisory firm Teneo, told Al Jazeera that Trump shows no sign of intending to disrupt the current US-China rapprochement. Wildau warned that the president may still face new pressure from Congress and hawkish voices inside his administration.

Carsten Holz, an expert on the Chinese economy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told Al Jazeera that Huang personal affairs will be of little relevance to broader China-US relations.

“Huang’s personal affairs will be of little relevance to China-US relations.”

, said Carsten Holz, an expert on the Chinese economy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Holz also said that Trump does not seem to have a coherent China policy, making his exact position in the upcoming talks hard to predict.

Where does congressional pressure originate?

Political pressure is driven largely by Congress, where control of both legislative houses will pass to Democrats in January. Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research group Omdia, told Al Jazeera that maintaining a tough line on AI and China represents a rare bipartisan consensus.

Su told Al Jazeera that Trump will do whatever he can to protect his contribution and legacy on this matter.

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller on Wednesday to request the preservation of all records concerning Nvidia chip exports to China.

“This incident raises significant concerns about the federal government’s ability to effectively enforce our export controls and protect our national security,” , wrote the senators.

Axios reported that Lutnick previously delayed a planned crackdown targeting firms suspected of funnelling Nvidia chips to China. Meanwhile, procurement notices reviewed by the AFP news agency indicate that a Chinese university linked to the nation’s defence establishment acquired Nvidia H200 chips through a third party in September and October.

How has Beijing answered export restrictions?

China has rejected allegations of espionage and accused Washington of manufacturing spy narratives to justify trade blocks. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that the US side should stop fabricating such narratives as a pretext for imposing a technological blockade.

Mao also affirmed that China remains willing to work with the US to implement consensus agreements reached by both leaders. Omdia analyst Su said that China has no interest in bypassing engagement with Trump, given its substantial interest in acquiring Nvidia graphics processing units.

Shares in leading graphics processor manufacturers Moore Threads, MetaX, and Cambricon jumped nearly 10 percent on Thursday.

What tensions are expected after Shenzhen?

While the use of advanced Nvidia chips in Singapore data centres to service mainland Chinese customers is not new information, analysts expect regulatory pressure to escalate next year. Okun projected that Congress could pass the Remote Access Security Act to block Chinese access to advanced chips via the cloud.

The Department of Commerce could also place export controls on Megaspeed or mandate licences for advanced chips destined for countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Okun said that if those measures materialize, they will strain the US-China relationship in 2027, adding that such restrictive policy shifts will not happen next week.

In December 2025, Trump approved sales of the H200, Nvidia’s second-most powerful chip, to China, requiring 25 percent of proceeds to be paid to the US government.