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Trump said Xi Jinping may ask Huang Renxun about her alleged involvement in an extramarital affair at the Trump-Xi meeting in Shenzhen. He supported Huang and said he was feeling great pain, but analysts believe the case could still deepen mutual suspicion between the United States and China.
The New York Times reported that the President of the United Statestrump with the Chinese PresidentXi Jinping Will meet Huida CEO in Shenzhen next weekJen-Hsun Huang News of an affair with suspected Chinese spy Huang Le could become a topic of conversation between Trump and Xi. Some analysts pointed out that the Communist spying scandal should not have an immediate impact on the Trump-Xi meeting in November, but it could affect the meeting between the United States and China at the G20 summit in December, test the fragile trade truce between the United States and China, and deepen mutual suspicion between the United States and China.
Jen-Hsun Huang admitted to having an extramarital affair on the 8th, but did not reveal the identity of the woman. The New York Times said the woman was Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore data center MegaSpeed who had been identified by US intelligence agencies as a Chinese spy.
Trump confirmed on the 9th that he had called Jen-Hsun Huang to express his concerns. He said, “I asked Jen-Sun Huang if he knew she was a spy? He said, ‘I didn’t know she was a spy.’ I believe in Jen-Hsun Huang.”
Trump also said that he is most concerned about Huang Renxun’s physical and mental condition. He said: “I think Huang is in a lot of pain right now. I read his statement and I believe he is in a lot of pain. This is about his family, his loving wife and family, he is really in pain.”
Trump noted that the FBI has been involved in the investigation, perhaps referring to the US Justice Department taking over the Commerce Department’s investigation into MegaSpeed’s transfer of chips to China.
Trump is expected to hold the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China on the 18th and 19th next week, where he will meet Xi Jinping.
Trump said he did not plan to raise the issue of the suspected Chinese spy, but he was confident Xi Jinping would ask. He said, “I’m sure President Xi Jinping will ask about this matter. I know Huang Renxun very well. I think he is a very honorable person. I am confident that he will recover.” Trump said on the 8th that he was willing to take Huang Renxun with him on a visit to China.
Trump, on the other hand, claimed that he did not recall receiving the classified report regarding Huang Jen-hsun’s relationship with the spy. The New York Times quoted people familiar with the matter on the 8th as saying that before Trump’s visit to Beijing in May, US Secretary of State Rubio had supervised the drafting of a memorandum on this matter and warned Trump and relevant national security officials.
When asked if he was aware of Huang’s alleged dealings with Communist spies when he invited him to fly on Air Force One to China in May, Trump said, “No, I had not heard about it at the time.” When reporters asked whether he had been briefed on the matter a year ago, Trump did not answer directly.
Asked when he first learned of the incident, Trump said, “I would have to check. Certainly I would check with the intelligence people. These things may have been mentioned. Obviously it had no deep impact on me.”
Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post quoted analysts as saying the Huida scandal could test the fragile trade truce between the United States and China. Ilaria Mazzocco, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), believes the impact may not emerge until or even after the Trump-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Miami in December.
However, the United States and China have the right to check and balance each other, particularly China’s dominance in the supply of rare earths, which could limit Washington’s space to tighten export controls.
George Chen, partner and head of digital business at The Asia Group, also warned that the case could deepen mutual mistrust between the United States and China at a time when bilateral relations are sensitive. However, some experts believe that since Trump publicly supports Huang and wants closer ties with Xi Jinping, the dispute is unlikely to impact the Trump-Xi meeting in Shenzhen in the short term.
Summary FAQ
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Trump said he did not intend to take the initiative to raise the matter, but he believed Xi Jinping would ask, and emphasized that he knew Huang Renxun, believed he was an honorable person, and was confident he could survive this storm.
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Reports say Huang has admitted to the extramarital affair, but have not revealed the woman’s identity. The New York Times said the woman involved is Huang Le, a former Singapore data center executive, and that US intelligence agencies have identified her as a Chinese spy.
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Most analysts believe it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the Trump-Xi meeting in Shenzhen in November, but it could affect the G20 sideline meeting in December and deepen mutual mistrust at a time when the US-China trade truce is fragile.
