The US government suspects that its general director is an ally of China

Lip-bu Tan, the general director of Intel, is in a very compromised position. His background plays against him. Before arriving at the company currently leading Cadence Design Systems directedan American company specialized in the development of software and hardware tools for Design and verify integrated circuits. Nothing suspicious here. The problem is that just a month ago, in July, the US Department of Justice condemned her to pay A fine of more than 140 million dollars for selling commercial secrets to China.

However, there is a fact that complicates this scenario even more: According to this US institutionCadence Design Systems delivered this critical information to the National University of Defense Technology, a Chinese teaching and research center that is supervised by the Chinese army. In fact, the US Department of Commerce has included this university in its “blacklist” because presumably is involved in the development of the super -taders used by the Chinese army to simulate nuclear explosions.

Intel’s general director has just given explanations at the White House

Lip Bu-Tan Intel leads since March 2025but there is a crucial fact that we should not overlook: although this conflict has taken it out of Cadence Design Systems directed this company between 2009 and 2021. And this was the period in which according to the US Department of Justice there were the violations of export control by which this company has recently been condemned. In addition, the panorama is further complicated for the Director General of Intel if we are in mind that it seems to have invested in some 600 Chinese companies, and some of them are presumably linked to the Chinese army.

This last accusation It has been formulated by the American senator Tom Cotton in a letter addressed to the Board of Directors of Intel. According to CottonLip-Bu has used its risk capital company Walden International to “get participations in more than 600 Chinese companies, including Startups of chips that They supply the Chinese army“It is a very serious accusation. So much, in fact, that Bu has been forced to go to the White House to give explanations. According to The Wall Street JournalDonald Trump and the general director of Intel have had a “face to face” just a few hours ago.

This meeting has had a double purpose. On the one hand he has given Lip-Bu so the opportunity to explain and clarify his involvement in the sale of commercial secrets to China for which Cadence Design Systems has been convicted. And, in addition, presumably Donald Trump has questioned him about his personal commitment and that of Intel with a priority objective for the US: the achievement of total independence in the manufacture of semiconductors. Intel is the biggest manufacturer of American chips, and, therefore, it is the best US option when competing in the production of integrated circuits with the Taiwanese company TSMC and the South Korean Samsung.

Image | Intel

More information | The Wall Street Journal

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