Arabic version: ترامب يقول إن مكتب التحقيقات الفيدرالي يحقق في قضية رئيس إنفيديا التنفيذي

According to BBC News, US President Donald Trump said the FBI is investigating an affair involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and Alice Huang, who US intelligence officials believe was a spy for Beijing. Trump said he spoke with Huang by phone on Monday and asked whether he knew she was a spy. The president said Huang told him he had no idea and that he believed him.

Trump did not provide details of the FBI inquiry or say when it began. The FBI declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Beijing rejected the allegations, with China’s foreign ministry describing them as “entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China”.

Nvidia has commissioned an independent investigation into the affair. The company said it had no reason to believe its secrets or national security had been compromised. Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, was managing director of Singaporean company Megaspeed, which has had dealings with Nvidia. She is not related to the Nvidia chief executive.

The reports contributed to a fall of more than 4% in Nvidia’s share price during Monday trading, wiping about $250bn (£190bn) from the company’s value. Huang and Nvidia were also sued in a proposed California class action accusing them of defrauding shareholders by concealing Huang’s ties with a suspected Chinese spy. Nvidia has been contacted for comment on the lawsuit.

Huang has admitted he was unfaithful to his wife and apologised for hurting her and their children. He said he was committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting US national security, and would cooperate with the company’s investigation. He has also been asked to attend a joint closed-door briefing for several Congressional committees next week concerning Nvidia’s security protocols and his interactions with Alice Huang.