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A US official said the situation surrounding Nvidia should not affect President Trump’s trip to Asia next week.
That reassurance arrives at an awkward moment. The world’s most closely watched chipmaker is dealing with a leadership crisis, and Trump is heading toward a meeting where AI chips will likely be on the table.
What’s happening with Nvidia
Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned. His exit follows revelations about his alleged connections to a suspected Chinese intelligence agent.
Nvidia’s board launched an independent investigation into Huang on or around November 8, 2026. The FBI is also reviewing the situation.
Congress has taken notice. Lawmakers are scrutinizing Huang’s relationship with President Trump.
Huang accompanied Trump on an official trip to China in May 2026.
Trump has publicly defended Huang and emphasized his honorable character.
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The trip, and why chips matter
Trump plans to attend the APEC leaders’ summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18-19, 2026. He is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping there.
In December 2025, the Trump administration approved sales of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, with a 25% fee on those sales paid to the US government.
Hundreds of thousands of Nvidia’s AI chips are currently waiting in Hong Kong because of regulatory delays.
Bipartisan calls in Congress for tighter chip export controls have intensified following the Huang scandal.
Background: a deal built on access
The December 2025 H200 decision reflected a bet that selling advanced chips to China, with a revenue share for Washington, beats ceding the market to competitors. Huang’s presence on the May 2026 trip signaled how central Nvidia had become to that strategy.
What this means
For the administration, the priority is containment. Saying the Nvidia situation won’t affect the trip is an attempt to keep the Xi meeting focused on trade and technology rather than on one executive’s alleged contacts.
The stalled shipments in Hong Kong are the most concrete thing to watch. Any movement, either release or further holds, would signal which way the administration is leaning after the scandal.
Nvidia also faces its own internal questions. The board’s independent investigation is ongoing, and its findings could shape how lawmakers and regulators treat the company going forward.
Trump’s public defense of Huang ties the President more closely to the outcome of the FBI review and the board’s probe.
