AFPI Calls Out Intel CEO for CCP Ties and Failure to Deliver for American Workers & Taxpayers

Washington D.C.— Adam Savit, Director of AFPI’s China Policy Initiative, called for a thorough investigation into Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chinese military-linked companies. According to The Wire China, Tan presided over a “Chinese Chip Empire” as Chairman of Walden International, with 77 portfolio companies ranging from semiconductors to robotics to software.

“The Department of Defense relies on Intel for advanced chips. Tan’s alleged ties compromise our most sensitive supply chains and undermine our national security,” Savit said. Tan’s most recent previous role was as CEO of Cadence Design Systems. As Senator Tom Cotton wrote in a letter to Intel's board on August 6, 2025, Cadence pleaded guilty to selling its products to a Chinese military university and illicitly transferring its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company.

In addition, Intel has failed to deliver on its promises despite receiving billions in taxpayer dollars through the Biden-era CHIPS and Science Act. Intel has already secured up to $7.86 billion in federal funding, with $2.2 billion disbursed to date, yet its flagship Ohio semiconductor factories—touted as a cornerstone of domestic manufacturing resurgence—face repeated delays, now pushed to at least 2031. Reports indicate the project could be canceled altogether without new customers. “This means no chips produced, no jobs fully realized, and no return on investment for American taxpayers,” observed Emily Moreno, Director of AFPI’s Ohio Chapter.