Intel CEO under fire: Is China ties a risk to the US?

Lip-Bu Tan is no stranger to the tech industry. Many believe he rescued Intel at a critical moment, thanks to his strategic vision and successful track record at companies like Cadence Design. However, the past is never entirely dead, especially when tensions between the United States and China are at their highest.

In the halls of the US Senate, an accusation has surfaced that threatens to change the course of the country's largest semiconductor company. Senator Tom Cotton issued a blunt warning: Did Intel sufficiently vet Tan before putting him in charge?

Intel doesn't just make chips; it builds national trust. As part of the Secure Enclave program, its activities must adhere to ultra-secure defense protocols. The problem: Tan has a history of investments—around €184 million between 2012 and 2024—in Chinese companies, some allegedly linked to the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese Communist Party.

Are these investments a conflict of interest? Can someone with past ties to China lead a key U.S. defense project? Cotton believes not. And he made this clear in a letter sent to Intel's board of directors.

Since the controversy erupted, Intel has asserted that Tan no longer maintains active ties with Chinese companies. But critics are not satisfied: they demand documented proof that he actually sold his shares. Furthermore, the shadow of the past looms: Cadence Design, the company Tan led until 2023, agreed to pay more than €128 million to sell software to a Chinese military university involved in nuclear simulations.

The official narrative is that Tan no longer has ties to those organizations. But as the saying goes, "what you have, you keep."

This case is not isolated. It is part of a silent but brutal technological war. While the US sanctions Chinese companies and restricts chip exports, China responds with blockades and threats to US companies' access. In the middle, executives like Lip-Bu Tan walk a tightrope.

For the United States, every microchip is now a matter of national security. And every executive, a potential threat or strategic ally.

The figure of Lip-Bu Tan represents more than just Intel's leadership: he symbolizes the dilemma facing the global technology industry. Can a leader with past connections to China lead a key U.S. defense company? Is it possible to separate talent from the geopolitical context?

The answer remains to be seen. But the truth is that Intel can't afford any more mistakes. And neither can the US.