2025 is a year where we can see a lot of progress in terms of AI technology development, especially in China, such as the recently introduced DeepSeek language model. Many are asking how these companies can get NVIDIA AI graphics cards, while the country is facing economic sanctions imposed by the United States.
It is known that the graphics cards were smuggled from Singapore to China, and now, the mastermind behind the matter has been identified, and his name is Alan Wei Zhaolun, a naturalized Singaporean citizen of Chinese origin.
Alan is reported to hold positions in as many as 15 firms in the Asian region, including Aperia Cloud Services and A-Speed Infotech Pte and operates in the computing sector through Singapore. Aperia Cloud Services in particular is one of NVIDIA's major trading partners in the Southeast Asian region, and not only has offices in Singapore, but also in Malaysia.
The Edge reports that Aperia Cloud Services will buy server machines built by manufacturers such as Super Micro and Dell, which are shipped from the United States to Malaysia via Singapore. It is not yet known how the graphics cards were shipped from Malaysia to China.
Another individual charged by the Singapore court is Aaron Woon Guo Jie, a Singaporean who is also the Chief Operating Officer for Aperia Cloud, who violated trade rules with the United States that state that server machines purchased and shipped cannot be given to individuals or companies not included in the sales and purchase agreement.
Both Alan Wei and Aaron Woon have been released on bail for now, and their next hearing has been set for May 2, 2025.