US President Donald Trump has demanded that Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan resigns, following reports of his ties to China. Tan took over the US chipmaker in March as the company struggled to recover from falling sales.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump called Tan “conflicted” and said he must step down.
”The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem,” he wrote, without elaborating.
Trump’s demand followed a letter on Wednesday from Republican Senator Tom Cotton to Intel board chair Frank Yeary, who raised concerns about Tan’s alleged ties to Beijing. Cotton questioned Tan’s integrity and the national security risks posed by his alleged investments in Chinese companies – including some linked to the military – which were reported by Reuters in April.
The senator asked whether the board had required Tan to fully disclose his ties and divest from the companies, given Intel’s federal funding under a US defense program. He also flagged Tan’s previous role at Cadence Design, a California software firm that recently pleaded guilty to violating US export laws by selling chip designs to China’s National University of Defense Technology (NUDT).
”The new CEO of Intel reportedly has deep ties to the Chinese Communists,” Cotton posted on X, linking the letter. “US companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations. The board of Intel owes Congress an explanation.”
Intel and Tan have not responded to media requests for comment. Intel’s shares dropped nearly 5% in premarket trading after Trump’s post, though they later recovered.
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The controversy comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. While both nations have long competed in the tech and semiconductor sectors, their rivalry turned into a full-scale trade war after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports earlier this year, accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices. A temporary deal delayed most measures until August 12, but this week Trump threatened additional tariffs over China’s energy ties with Russia.
China has slammed Trump’s tariff threats as violating international trade rules.
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