Lip-Bu Tan’s venture-capital firm has supported some of the biggest names in China’s chip industry. With U.S.-China tensions running high, those investments no longer look so benign.

A change in leadership could pile pressure on the company as it pushes through a major strategic reset that Lip-Bu Tan started.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan defended his integrity and vowed to continue leading the semiconductor company through a "critical moment."