Trump-Backed Firm Partners with Chinese AI Venture Amid National Security Concerns
World Liberty Financial, backed by President Donald Trump's family through their ownership stake, has partnered with Hong Kong-based WorldClaw to offer access to artificial intelligence (AI) models developed by Chinese companies flagged for national security concerns.
The AI models offered by WorldClaw include those from Alibaba, Baidu, Z.ai, and other Chinese technology companies that the US administration says pose risks to national security and intellectual property. However, some experts argue that the business collaboration between World Liberty and WorldClaw is hypocritical given the Trump administration's stance on Chinese tech companies.
Seven experts on Chinese technology, trade, and government ethics expressed concerns about the partnership, citing the potential for profits for President Trump through World Liberty. The Trump family has earned over $1.4 billion from token sales, with a total of $2.3 billion made from crypto investments.
A WorldClaw spokesman stated that the company 'helps American AI companies reach international users' and emphasized that making models available does not constitute an endorsement of their developers. The Chinese AI models offered by WorldClaw are generally legal for individuals and businesses to use in the US, but some of the companies producing them face US government restrictions due to national-security concerns.