Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan faces calls to resign amid national security concerns over ties to Chinese firms and military connections.
Former US President Donald Trump wants Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, to quit right away. This comes after Senator Tom Cotton raised worries about Tan’s connections to a lot of Chinese companies, some linked to China’s military. This is a big deal because Intel is already having a hard time staying on top in the competitive world of making computer chips, especially with tensions between the US and China making things more complicated.
Senator Cotton publicly questioned Lip-Bu Tan’s links to Chinese firms. In a letter made public, Cotton stated that Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and holds stakes in hundreds more related to advanced manufacturing and chip production in China. More alarmingly, at least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Read More: Cambodian PM Backs Trump for Nobel Peace Prize After Border Truce
Senator Cotton also mentioned that Tan used to lead a company called Cadence Design Systems and that company recently admitted it sold products illegally to a Chinese military university and shared technology with a Chinese semiconductor company without permission. Since Tan was in charge during that time, people are even more worried about his connections and role in these activities.
Read More: Trump Rules Out Trade Talks With India Until Tariff Dispute Is Settled
Lip-Bu Tan, a Malaysia-born tech veteran, took over as Intel CEO in March amid a difficult phase for the company. Intel faces growing competition from Asian giants like TSMC and Samsung, who led the custom semiconductor market. Additionally, Nvidia has surged ahead as the leader in AI chip technology, an area where Intel has lagged. Tan has acknowledged these challenges, admitting that “it won’t be easy” for Intel to recover its position from possible threats.
Read More: US Doubles Reward to $50 Million for Arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro – But why?
Intel is a really important company for technology in the US. The claims against Tan bring up serious questions about how the company is run and if it can protect important information. Because the US and China don’t always get along, people are watching closely to make sure leaders don’t have risky connections.
