"The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, a day after Senator Tom Cotton said he had written to Intel questioning Lip-Bu Tan's connections to firms in China.

In a statement issued Thursday, Tan said the company was "engaged with the Trump administration to address the concerns raised and ensure officials "have the facts."

Intel is one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies, but its fortunes have been dwarfed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business. 

In Cotton's letter, posted on his website, the senator alleged Tan controls dozens of Chinese companies and holds stakes in hundreds of Chinese advanced manufacturing and chip firms.

"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 licenses."

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 preeminent AI chip provider.

Intel's niche has been chips used in traditional computing processes, which steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution.