Report: Singapore Received Little US Help in Nvidia Chip Transfers to China Probe

By Staff, Agencies

Singaporean authorities received limited assistance from the United States during an investigation into the suspected transfer of advanced Nvidia chips to China, despite holding the passport of former Megaspeed chief executive Alice Huang for eight months.

According to US media reports, Singapore confiscated Huang’s passport in June 2025, preventing her from leaving the country while investigators examined allegations involving the export of advanced American semiconductor technology to China.

A source familiar with the investigation told CBS News on Friday that Singaporean officials had sought cooperation from Washington but received little meaningful assistance. US authorities reportedly failed to respond adequately to requests for cooperation, with no substantial support provided so far.

In a statement issued this week, the Singaporean government confirmed that it had requested assistance from both the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI].

The investigation has also attracted attention following reports linking Alice Huang to an alleged espionage scandal and an extramarital relationship involving Nvidia founder and former chief executive Jensen Huang. However, the allegations concerning espionage have not been established as proven facts.

According to sources cited by CBS News, Singaporean authorities began investigating Alice Huang and her former company, Megaspeed, in February 2025 over suspicions that they had worked with California-based Supermicro to facilitate the export of computer servers containing advanced Nvidia processors to China.

The source said Alice Huang travelled to Singapore in June 2025 to voluntarily meet investigators from the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the agency responsible for overseeing exports of sensitive technologies and products for national security and economic reasons.

Singaporean police questioned Huang on the same day as the American investigators before confiscating her passport.

Huang, a Chinese citizen, had reportedly arrived in Singapore from an undisclosed location.

By February 2026, Singaporean authorities had not filed criminal charges against her and were required to return her passport, according to the source.

However, Singapore subsequently imposed a permanent entry ban after authorities concluded that Huang had provided "inaccurate information" intended to minimize her involvement with Megaspeed, according to the government’s statement.

The government announcement came four days after Jensen Huang acknowledged having an extramarital relationship with a woman whom sources identified to CBS News as Alice Huang.

At the center of the Singaporean investigation are allegations that Alice Huang misrepresented information concerning Megaspeed’s purchases of computer servers from Supermicro, a California-based technology company headquartered in San Jose.

The servers in question contain advanced Nvidia processors widely used in artificial intelligence applications, data centers and cloud computing infrastructure.

The investigation highlights growing international concerns over the diversion of advanced semiconductor technology to China and the enforcement of US export restrictions, as Washington seeks to limit Beijing’s access to strategically sensitive computing technologies.