Alice Huang, the Chinese woman accused of spying for China during an affair with Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, used a Hong Kong passport to enter Taiwan, the Taiwanese immigration agency said on Wednesday as authorities continue to investigate the incident.
“Our government’s relevant agencies are fully informed of the relevant records and information,” Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency Director-General Lin Horng-en told reporters, confirming that Alice Huang had used a Hong Kong passport to enter the country, AFP reported.
“We were aware of all her relevant entry and exit records,” she added.
Jensen Huang has admitted to having an extramarital affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence agencies of working for Beijing.
Both Nvidia and Megaspeed, the Singapore-based company she was associated with, are under investigation amid allegations of a Chinese espionage operation targeting the chipmaker.
Easier to enter Taiwan
Due to long-standing geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan, it is easier for a person holding a Hong Kong passport to enter Taiwan than for someone with a Mainland Chinese passport, who must apply for a special travel permit to cross the border, according to AFP.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and vows to bring the island under its control, while Taiwan views itself as a distinct liberal democracy.
“Alice Huang did indeed enter the country, but she is currently overseas. If we had known she was a spy, we certainly would not have let her enter Taiwan,” Taiwan’s Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang told lawmakers in parliament.
“We will review our procedures, specifically our pre-screening, interim spot checks and interviews, and post-visit measures,” she said. “As far as we understand, this Ms Huang has had her permit revoked, meaning it is impossible for her to enter Taiwan again.”
On Tuesday, Liu said Taiwan’s national security units were actively investigating the matter.
Nvidia’s board open investigation
US intelligence officials believe that Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, a former top executive at Singapore-based data centre firm Megaspeed, was a suspected spy for Beijing, according to a report by The New York Times. Beijing has rejected the spying allegations.
Jensen Huang admitted to having an affair with Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, and wrote an apology note for a press release, apologising to his wife, children and employees. Nvidia’s board announced on Sunday that it had opened an investigation into the Taiwanese CEO and co-founder of the company.
Alice Huang’s professional background also includes reported stints in television, banking and investment management. She previously worked as a television reporter with Hunan TV and China Central Television (CCTV), China’s state broadcaster, according to a profile attributed to her in a Chinese private-fund database, cited by the NYT and the New York Post.
The circumstances surrounding her first meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang remain unknown. However, photographs show the two together at a technology event in Taipei in 2024, according to a report published by The New York Times.
(With inputs from AFP)
