The United States is concerned about a potential security threat from Tencent’s investments in Epic and Riot.

The question of Tencent’s investment in American and Finnish gaming companies is being discussed against the backdrop of Trump’s visit to China

Before Donald Trump visits China to meet with Xi Jinping, negotiations are already underway at the White House about how much Tencent’s investments in popular game studios from the United States and Finland could pose a national security threat. The information was provided by *Financial Times*.

Company Country‑of‑origin Product Share of Tencent
Epic Games North Carolina (USA) Fortnite 28 %
Riot Games Los Angeles (USA) League of Legends 100 % ownership
Supercell Helsinki (Finland) Clash of Clans 100 % ownership

Control: CFIUS

Tencent’s investments in American gaming companies are under constant scrutiny by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Since the first Trump administration, the committee has already been reviewing potential risks associated with Tencent gaining access to millions of Americans’ data through Epic and Riot. The acquisition of Finnish studio Supercell also attracted attention because of its large user base in the United States.

Chris McGarry, a former National Security Council staffer under Biden, notes: “These platforms can serve as an important source of intelligence gathering.” Peter Harrell, a visiting research fellow at Georgetown University and former White House national security official, added: “The biggest problem is data privacy and security.”

Disagreements within CFIUS

During the Biden administration there was no consensus. Some committee members believed that risks could be mitigated with agreements, while others felt that investments posed a serious threat due to the volumes of user data (financial information, personal data, chat logs).

McGarry, now working at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), warns: “Approving investments even with agreed mitigation measures could send the wrong signal that Chinese military company investments are not a national security risk.”