Australia ‘alive to’ heightened spy risk amid Nvidia scandal, Marles says

Résumé détaillé

Australia is “alive to” the heightened espionage risk after an alleged Chinese honey trap involving the world’s top tech company sparks concern.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has brushed off questions about Australian data centre chiefs mingling with the alleged Chinese spy accused of honey trapping the head of the world’s most valuable tech firm.

NextDC this week confirmed its chief executive Craig Scroggie did appear with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and suspected Chinese agent Alice Huang – of no relation – in unearthed footage taken in Taiwan last year.

In the footage, Mr Scroggie chats to Ms Huang while Mr Huang speaks to media and fans gathered nearby.

Australia’s leading data centre firm, NextDC said Mr Scroggie was there to see Mr Huang’s presentation at a major tech conference.

CDC’s Greg Boorer and Jack Dan also appeared in another photo with Mr Huang and Ms Huang in the US, with The Australian Financial Review reporting that it was posted to Ms Huang’s personal social media.

Mr Boorer told the paper he and Mr Dan “were there as (Nvidia) partners” and they met “Alice but never really talked and haven’t seen her since”.

Mr Marles said on Wednesday he was confident in Australia’s ability to safeguard sensitive information, but “we are living in a world where there is more espionage than there has been for a long time”.

“The processes by which people obtain security clearances to handle our nation’s secrets, but also to engage in our key technologies, is very robust and we’re confident about that,” he told ABC radio.

Mr Marles said the surge in espionage was “particularly around emerging technologies”, such as data centres.

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