China Rebukes U.S. as Lawmakers Push for Tighter Chip Export Controls

China warned the United States on Friday against adding new restrictions on semiconductor exports.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that Beijing opposes the abuse of export controls. She stated that such measures disrupt global industrial and supply chains and serve no party's interests. Mao urged both nations to implement the consensus reached by their heads of state to maintain stable economic and trade relations.

The warning follows scrutiny of Nvidia and its former CEO, Jensen Huang. Huang admitted to an affair with Alice Huang, a former senior executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed. The two are not related. A New York Times report last month revealed that President Trump was briefed on intelligence suggesting Alice Huang was a Chinese asset. According to the report, the president decided not to act on that information.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces criticism regarding his ties to Chinese companies and his friendship with Jensen Huang. Critics question whether those connections contributed to a lack of federal oversight over billions in Nvidia AI chip sales. The Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. officials circulated a memo last spring citing intelligence that alleged Alice Huang was a spy for China's Ministry of State Security. Beijing rejected those claims on Thursday, calling them a pretext for a technological blockade.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said a growing consensus exists in Congress to tighten chip export controls. The next scheduled step involves further legislative discussions as lawmakers weigh new regulatory measures.