The Trump administration’s all-encompassing focus on trade has taken Washington’s focus off other conflicts with China, from human rights to espionage — but two recent courthouse developments serve as a reminder that American companies remain targets.
Federal prosecutors in California indicted two Americans and two Chinese citizens for allegedly trying to smuggle $4 million worth of Nvidia chips and HPE supercomputers into mainland China. The indictment, reported by Court Watch on Wednesday, came out at roughly the same time that Nvidia released earnings. (Buried in there was a tweak that further obfuscates who is buying their chips. The company has redefined its revenue geography to base it on where an end-user is headquartered, rather than whatever region those chips are sent to.)
Meanwhile, jurors heard last week that a staffer forged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature on invitations sent to Chinese dignitaries, at the same time the aide’s family was allegedly getting millions of dollars in contracts from Chinese handlers.