Ma Huateng, founder of Tencent, is facing heightened scrutiny after the Pentagon designated his company as a “Chinese military company.” Ma has donated millions to Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy League schools, raising concerns about Chinese influence on American academia.
The Pentagon’s blacklist identifies Tencent as a key player in China’s military and artificial intelligence programs. Critics have accused the company of aiding the Chinese Communist Party in censorship and surveillance efforts. Ma, a CCP member, has also been linked to espionage concerns by lawmakers like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Ma’s role at Yale has drawn particular attention. Since 2015, he has served on the advisory board for the Yale Center Beijing, which promotes partnerships with Chinese organizations. Events hosted by the center have included Tencent executives and Chinese officials discussing artificial intelligence, further intertwining Yale with Chinese interests.
#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
Through his Ma Huateng Foundation, Ma has provided millions in donations to Ivy League institutions. In 2017, Princeton received $5 million for a project studying how American media shapes perceptions of China. Critics argue these donations could give Tencent an outsized role in shaping academic narratives.
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
Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies warned that Tencent’s U.S. investments pose a significant national security risk. Singleton described Tencent as an “intelligence gateway” for Chinese agencies, raising alarms about its potential to undermine U.S. industries.
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
As scrutiny intensifies, Yale and other Ivy League schools may face growing pressure to reevaluate their ties to Ma and Tencent. The Pentagon’s actions signal a broader effort to counter Chinese influence across critical sectors, including academia.
