Ma Huateng, the founder of Tencent, has come under fire after the Pentagon labeled his company a “Chinese military company.” Ma’s longstanding ties to Yale University and other Ivy League schools are drawing criticism as concerns about Chinese influence grow.
The Pentagon’s designation emphasizes Tencent’s contributions to China’s military and artificial intelligence initiatives, sparking fresh scrutiny of its global partnerships.
#FirstpostAmerica: The Pentagon has named Chinese social media and gaming tech giant Tencent as a company that works with the Chinese military. Tencent is best known for making the do-it-all app WeChat and the gaming app PUBG. @EKH2016 tells you more pic.twitter.com/PE5ajl61no
— Firstpost (@firstpost) January 7, 2025
The US Department of Defense has classified Tencent, owners of Riot and investors in several other game studios, as a Chinese Military company. https://t.co/gcCpfNvR2H pic.twitter.com/Qd4ADGI2yo
— IGN (@IGN) January 7, 2025
Ma has served on the advisory board of Yale’s Beijing center since 2015, facilitating collaborations between the university and Chinese organizations. Critics warn that events hosted by the center, including discussions on AI policy, may inadvertently align with Chinese government priorities.
Problem is all these Chinese companies are heavily tied in with the CCP. Tencent's founder served on the Peoples' Congress, and has made anti-free speech statements. So you're basically just trading woke communism for old school communism. pic.twitter.com/qBKKKrJgSe
— MMNTech (@mmntech) December 9, 2024
https://twitter.com/FirstSquawk/status/1876289941359251699s
Through his charitable foundation, Ma has donated millions to Ivy League institutions. Princeton received $5 million to fund a project on American perceptions of China, while MIT and Columbia University were also beneficiaries of his philanthropy. These donations have raised questions about the influence of Chinese interests on U.S. academic research.
People forget that China doesn't have a military. Instead, the Communist Party has an armed wing, the PLA, which defends the Party. Context to understand why the Pentagon is justified adding Tencent and CATL to its China military (1260H list). https://t.co/fZZCCS8jmT
— Isaac Stone Fish (@isaacstonefish) January 7, 2025
He is very tactful.
"Pony Ma Huateng, the founder and CEO of Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, published a rare commentary in an official newspaper on Thursday, praising Beijing’s recent economic policies for supporting the private sector."https://t.co/bEVOyZqlwE— Yuzhen (Jennifer) Xie 谢予桢 (@JenniferXie12) December 12, 2024
Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies described Tencent as a “national security risk hiding in plain sight.” He highlighted the company’s investments in sensitive American technologies as a key concern for national security.
The Pentagon’s designation signals a broader U.S. effort to counter Chinese influence. Yale and other universities may now face increased pressure to reassess their foreign funding and partnerships with entities tied to the Chinese government.
