Intel CEO to Meet White House After Trump Demands Resignation Over China Ties

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is heading to the White House on Monday as political pressure mounts over his alleged ties to Chinese companies and just days after President Donald Trump called for his immediate resignation.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Tan’s visit will include discussions on his commitment to U.S. national security and possible ways Intel could work more closely with the Trump administration. The meeting comes after weeks of escalating concerns from Senate Republicans, most notably Senator Tom Cotton, who has raised alarms over Tan’s business history and possible conflicts of interest.

Trump took to Truth Social last week, blasting Tan as “highly CONFLICTED” and declaring, “There is no other solution to this problem” but for him to step down.

Key concerns fueling the controversy:

• While leading Cadence Design Systems, Tan faced federal subpoenas over the company’s dealings.

• Reuters reported Tan invested in hundreds of Chinese companies, some with links to the Chinese military, between 2012 and 2024.

• Cadence, now under separate leadership, pleaded guilty last month to illegally selling chip design technology to a Chinese military university believed to be involved in nuclear weapons research, paying over $140 million in penalties.

Cotton’s letter to Intel’s board questioned whether they knew the scope of Tan’s past investments, whether he had fully divested from Chinese chip firms, and whether he had disclosed all relevant ties given Intel’s role in a taxpayer-funded program to boost domestic semiconductor production for national security.

While sources told Reuters earlier this year that Tan had divested from his positions in Chinese firms, the full extent of those sales remains unclear. Intel has refused public comment, and the White House has yet to release an official statement ahead of Monday’s meeting.

Tan, born in Malaysia and now a U.S. citizen, took over as Intel CEO in March. His leadership now sits under a cloud of suspicion at a time when Washington is tightening restrictions on technology exports to China and treating semiconductor production as a front-line national security issue.

The outcome of Monday’s White House meeting could determine whether Tan can survive the mounting political pressure or whether Intel will be forced to find new leadership to navigate the high-stakes U.S.-China tech rivalry.

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