Under pressure, Lutnick joins Trump in China
As Nvidia fallout deepens, Commerce Secretary faces mounting pressure over his role in slowing China chip curbs.
Howard Lutnick, the former CEO of the mortgage finance company Freddie Mac, is set to join President Donald Trump on a trip to China later this week, according to sources familiar with the situation. This comes as Lutnick faces intense pressure within the Trump administration over his handling of AI chip exports to China and his close ties to former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
The Commerce Secretary has been criticized for his slow pace in implementing restrictions on certain exports to China and for his relationship with Huang, who recently resigned following revelations of an extramarital affair with an Nvidia customer suspected of being a Chinese spy. Reports have also surfaced alleging that Lutnick allowed Nvidia to indirectly sell more advanced chips to China than the law permits, exploiting loopholes that he has not yet closed.
In response to mounting pressure from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other officials, Lutnick is expected to accompany Trump on his upcoming trip to China. It is believed that Trump wants to keep Lutnick around to accompany him for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the APEC summit.
Despite the controversy surrounding Lutnick, the White House maintains full confidence in his ability to navigate the complex issues related to AI chips and national security. The trip could serve as an opportunity for Lutnick to prove his worth and demonstrate that he has "nine lives" left in his career.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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