By Evelyn Cheng
Publication Date: 2026-11-12 07:28:00
Chinese national flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People during the 2026 “two sessions on March 9, 2026 in Beijing, China.
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images
From recruitment of U.S. students to allegations surrounding Nvidia’s Jensen Huang affair, reports point to one Chinese intelligence agency: the Ministry of State Security.
The opaque government entity — which lacks an official website other than one supporting whistleblowers — has gained prominence with Beijing’s growing emphasis on national security since 2023. The ministry oversees a range of provincial and national-level bureaus, including for intelligence gathering.
While the MSS is not Beijing’s only intelligence entity, the ministry has often been named in high-profile cases. Following hacking attempts on U.S. entities, the U.S. Treasury Department has in recent years sanctioned Chinese entities and individuals it alleges are affiliated with MSS.
The Financial Times and The New York Times this month reported, citing sources, that U.S. government intelligence believe the MSS recruited businesswoman Alice Huang to gather information on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The two are not related. Jensen Huang admitted to an affair over the weekend, but it remains unclear whether any sensitive information was shared.
The MSS earlier this year approached an individual who knows Alice Huang — to find out more information about her business and connections, The FT reported Wednesday, citing the person who…
