[Spartacus]

Over the last decade, Chinese technology giant Tencent has become a major player in overseas markets. The company is the majority owner of League of Legends developer Riot Games, holds a major stake in Ubisoft and Epic Games, runs the publishing arm Level Infinite and is a massive developer in its domestic market.

Tencent was also the secret backer funding Highguard, a high-profile hero shooter that's being shuttered just a month from release after the Chinese company reportedly pulled investment.

According to a report from the Financial Times (FT), the Trump administration is considering forcing Tencent out of American companies, ostensibly due to security risks posed by the company.

Tencent Could Be Under More Pressure Soon

FT reports that Tencent has been trying to assuage the concerns of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (Cfius) for almost a year, with cabinet officials planning to hold a meeting about the company soon.

The review concerns the access to the data of Americans afforded to Tencent by its ownership (partial and otherwise) of several multiplayer games, i.e. Fortnite and League of Legends. Cfius is also concerned by Tencent's acquisition of the Finnish company Supercell, developer of Clash of Clans, because of how popular the game is in the United States.

There has been disagreement on how to handle Tencent within Cfius and wider Treasury personnel, with some believing that forcing Tencent to divest its stakes is the best course of action, while others prefer a softer touch.

"Approving this deal, even with mitigation agreements, could send a broader signal that investment from 'Chinese military companies' does not carry national security risks, which is certainly not the case," said Chris McGuire, a government official formerly of Joe Biden's administration, currently at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Tencent was added to the Department of Defence's List of Chinese Military Companies—a document that warns American companies of the risks of doing business with military-affiliated Chinese companies—in January 2025. Inclusion on the list does not currently carry any sanctions or legal consequences.

Tencent rejects the designation, saying, "We are not a military company or supplier. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business."

In three weeks, Donald Trump is set to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing. The atmosphere of the meeting will likely be determined by how much pressure the administration places on Chinese companies in the interim.

https://www.thegamer.com/trump-administr...companies/

[ReinhardVonLohengramm]

I think they should embrace it. Sell it through their site with bitcoin. Huge political win