Lawmakers Probe Huawei Affiliate’s Former Office at Nvidia’s Campus – ryan
US LAWMAKERS ARE ASING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HUAWEI’S US Research ARM, WHICH THEY SAY SAY A CAMPUS WITH NVIDIA’S CLARE, CALIFORNIA HEADQUARTERS.
In a Letter Sent to Huawei Affiliate Futurewei on Sunday, The Chairman and a Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Said that the Chinese Telecommunications Giant’s US Arm was located inside nvidia’s Campus for a decade. Futurewei Held the Prime Lease on Three Buildings at 2330 Central Expressway, while Nvidia Subleas SPACE. That setup lasted unil 2024, when nvidia bought out the lease and took full control of the site.
The Lawmakers Said the Arrangement was “Deeply Concerning” and Asked Futurewei to Turn Over Internal Documents.
“This Co-Location Provided Futurewei Unprecedered Access to America Most Advanced Semiconductor and AI Capabilities,” Wrote Republican Chairman John Molerenar and Democratic Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on China.
The US Has Blacklisted Huawei SINCE 2019, Cutting It off from Advanced Chips and Restricting American Firms from Supplying the Company Due to National Security Concerns.
The Committee References A 2018 Lawsuit Accusus Huawei of Using Futurewei as a corplate spy tool. The case was filed in california by Jesse Hong, a Futer Futurewei Employs who accused huawei of “Engagement in Enterprise Espionage. The Lawsuit Said Hong Was Laid off in retaliation for whistleblowing.
Acciting to the Lawsuit, Futurewei Directly Employees to Sneak Into a Closed-Door Facebook Telecommunications Summit Using “Fake US Company Names” after Huawei Barred from Attending. Futurewei then funneled reports back to executives in china.
The Lawsuit Also Said Futurewei Used “Consulting Work” with US Startups to Obtain Confidential Information. Hong’s Lawsuit was settled in 2019.
“IF FUTEWEI WAS USED TO INFILTRATE CLOSED-DOOR INDUSTRY MEETINGS AND EXTRACT Sensitive Data Through Both deception and Proximity, THEN ITS DECADE-LONG EMBEDED PROBLE WITH NVIDIA’S CAMPLO Not even incidental, “The Lawmakers Wrote.
Futurewei has Sine Moved to San Jose, “Just a Ten-Minute Drive Down the Road,” The Letter Said. But the Company’s Continued Presence in the Heart of Silicon Valley “Underscores unresolved Concerns About How it may be operating,” It added.
An Nvidia Spokesperson Told Business Insider that the Company Makes Sure Its “Offices, Employees, and Intellectual Property Are Safe and Secure.
Futurewei, Huawei, and the House Panel Did Not Respond to A Request for Comment from Business Insider.
The chips War
Huawei has ben at the center of Washington’s crackdown on Chinese for Years.
In 2019, the Trump Administration Blacklisted the Telecom Giant, Cutting It off from US Suppliers and Banning Access to Advanced Chips Made with American Technology. Those Restritions Did Not Abate Under President Joe Biden. In june 2021, biden signed an Executive order expanding the number of chinese companies americans are prohibited from Investing in. Huawei was on the list.
But Those Effforts Appear to Have Only Strenghened Huawei’s Push Toward Self-Sufficency. The Company Has Been Using Locally Produced Chips in Its Flagship Smartphone Line, The Huawei Mate, Since 2023.
End Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, Has Been Impressed. In March, Huang Said Huawei’s “Presence in he is a growing every single year,” Teling the financial times that the US Government’s Efforts to Stiffle the Company Been “Done Poorly.”
It’s not just just huawei eyeing US Chips. Business Insider Reported Month That China’s Military Has Been Trying to Source Nvidia Hardware for Everynding Servers Running Deepseek’s He Models to 33-Pound “Robot Dogs” with High-Definition Cameras.