“At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army,” Cotton wrote.
The Republican senator also noted Tan’s role as the previous head of Cadence Design Systems, which he said recently “pleaded guilty to illegally selling its products to a Chinese military university”.
Cotton said while serving in that role, Tan transferred “its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company without obtaining licences”.
In a statement, Tan said there has been “a lot of misinformation circulating” about his past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems.
“I want to be absolutely clear: over 40+ years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem,” Tan said.
“And I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards.”
He stressed that the United States has been his home for over 40 years and that he is “profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me”.
He added that he fully shares Trump’s commitment to “advancing US national and economic security” and is proud to lead a company “so central to these goals”.
The Malaysia-born tech industry veteran took the helm at struggling Intel in March, announcing layoffs as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddied the market.
He has previously said it “won’t be easy” to overcome challenges faced by the company.
The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia as the world’s pre-eminent AI chip provider.
Intel’s niche has been chips used in traditional computing processes, which are steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution.
– Agence France-Presse
