Media Watch: Rumors hit chipmaker Nvidia amid US-China row

[ad_1] The escalating chip row between america and China has taken a pointy flip as tensions over semiconductor expertise develop. With Donald Trump set to start his new time period as president in January, uncertainties surrounding U.S. insurance policies are fueling hypothesis.

Amid this unstable atmosphere, rumors concentrating on American chipmaker Nvidia have surfaced in China, significantly after Beijing introduced an antitrust investigation into the corporate.

Because the world’s largest supplier of processors that energy synthetic intelligence, Nvidia is now below scrutiny simply weeks after the U.S. unveiled a sweeping semiconductor export management package deal aimed toward curbing China’s technological advances.

Beneath is what AFCL discovered.

Did Nvidia’s CEO mock Chinese language folks?

A video emerged in Chinese language-language social media posts that declare it reveals Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang mocking Chinese language folks by saying they loved ache and struggling.

The caption of the video shared right here and right here reads: “Nvidia’s founder Jensen Huang provocatively says: The lifetime of atypical Chinese language folks is filled with ache and struggling, which they name will and grit. And the room laughs.”

The 54-second video reveals what seems to be Huang’s media interview.

Some Chinese language on-line customers claimed that Jensen Huang mocked Chinese language folks. (Screenshot/Weibo) However the declare is fake.

A key phrase search discovered the unique video printed on the YouTube channel of the Chinese language American Semiconductor Skilled Affiliation on Dec. 11, 2023.

A overview of the video reveals Huang was truly discussing the advantages of being raised by Chinese language dad and mom.

On the video’s 54-minute mark, a member of the viewers may be heard asking Huang what qualities he believed most contributed to his success.

In response, Huang pressured the significance of character in success, saying that he thought the questioner was “blessed to have been raised (as) Chinese language.”

He added: “One of many traits of Chinese language, after all, is the flexibility to tolerate long-term ache and struggling. In case you’ve been raised by a Chinese language guardian, you've loved numerous ache and struggling.

“Isn’t that proper? And so, actually, the flexibility to endure ache and struggling is named grit, GRIT. It's now acknowledged as one of the vital vital traits of profitable folks and so I want upon you a lifelong, loads of ache and struggling.”

It’s clear that Huang was referring to the broader values and traditions he related to Chinese language tradition when he talked about the time period “Chinese language”, not particularly “Chinese language nationality.”

Does a photograph present Huang getting drunk in Vietnam after ‘shedding’ the Chinese language market?

A photograph of Huang was shared on Douyin, China’s equal of TikTok, on Dec. 15, 2024, alongside a declare that it reveals Huang “getting drunk” in Vietnam after “shedding” the Chinese language market.

The picture and the declare started to flow into on-line after China opened an antitrust investigation into Nvidia.

“Down at shedding the Chinese language market, Jensen Huang drowned his sorrows on a Vietnamese avenue nook, going gray haired in a single day,” the caption of the picture reads.

“Don’t know the place his new beloved leather-based jacket went, he’s simply sporting a T-shirt, clearly distraught.”

Some Chinese language on-line customers claimed Huang bought drunk in Vietnam after the latest investigation by China was launched in opposition to Nvidia. (Screenshot/Douyin) However the declare is fake.

A reverse picture search discovered the corresponding picture printed in media reviews in December 2023, months earlier than China’s latest investigation in opposition to the American chipmaker.

The identical picture was additionally uploaded by Vietnam’s consul-general in San Francisco Hoang Anh Tuan on his Fb web page on Dec. 10, 2024.

The purported latest picture of Huang was truly taken throughout a go to to Vietnam in 2023. (Screenshots/Fb and Vietnam+) Is Nvidia pulling out of China as a result of investigation?

A declare has been repeatedly circulated in Chinese language-language posts that Nvidia plans to exit China on account of Beijing’s antitrust investigation.

Nevertheless, the declare lacks proof.

Nvidia dismissed the declare on Dec. 12, a couple of days after China’s announcement of the investigation, and mentioned it might “proceed” to serve Chinese language prospects.

“China is a vital marketplace for Nvidia. Nvidia adheres to the unique intention of placing prospects first and can proceed to offer Chinese language prospects with the best high quality and best services and products,” the corporate mentioned in its official Weibo web page.

Screenshot of Nvidia’s assertion dismissing on-line rumors about its plan to exit China. (Screenshot/Weibo) Individually, Huang mentioned in November that the chipmaker remained dedicated to sustaining its presence in mainland China.

Key phrase searches discovered no credible reviews or statements that present Nvidia’s plan to exit China.

Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang.

Asia Truth Examine Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in as we speak’s advanced media atmosphere. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reviews that goal to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of present affairs and public points. In case you like our content material, it's also possible to observe us on Fb, Instagram and X.