Key facts
- Senators Warren and Coons asked the administration to preserve all documents tied to Nvidia's chip exports to China.
- The letter went to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller.
- The senators requested a congressional briefing on the national security risks posed by the suspected intelligence operation.
- The senators said the incident raises concerns about the federal government's ability to enforce export controls and protect national security.
- Allegations emerged that Huang's relationship with Alice Huang aided at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip shipments to China, according to the report.
US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons asked the Trump administration on November 11 to preserve all documents tied to Nvidia's chip exports to China, citing scrutiny over CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence operative.
The letter was sent to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. "This incident raises significant concerns about the federal government's ability to effectively enforce our export controls and protect our national security," the senators said in the letter.
Warren and Coons also requested a congressional briefing on the national security risks posed by the suspected intelligence operation. "Questions also remain regarding whether or not prudent defensive counter-intelligence action was taken or national security recommendations were overruled," they said.
The controversy escalated on several fronts during the week as allegations emerged that Huang's relationship with Alice Huang aided at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip shipments to China and that Rubio had previously briefed President Donald Trump on the affair, according to the report. Many of Nvidia's most advanced chips are subject to US export restrictions.
Nvidia's board is meeting late on Wednesday to decide whether to oust Huang, a person familiar with the matter said, after media reports alleged he had a close relationship with a Chinese businesswoman who passed information to Beijing. The Wall Street Journal first reported details of the letter.