Trump-backed World Liberty Financial has joined hands with Hong Kong-based WorldClaw, raising fresh scrutiny over Chinese AI access. The partnership emerged on August 17, 2026, as WorldClaw offered 90 AI models, including 43 from Chinese companies.
WorldClaw accepts World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin and other crypto tokens for AI services, creating a revenue link for the Trump family. The family owns 38% of World Liberty Financial and earns income from token activity.
Reuters found models from Alibaba, Baidu, Z.ai, DeepSeek and Moonshot among WorldClaw’s available services. The platform also provides models from US companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, giving users access to multiple AI providers.
Several Chinese companies on the platform face US government scrutiny over national security and intellectual property concerns. The Defense Department lists Alibaba and Baidu as Chinese military-linked companies, while Commerce restricts Z.ai through its entity list.
The arrangement does not violate current US law, according to Reuters. However, technology and ethics experts question the business link while Washington takes a tougher position on Chinese AI.
Sam Bresnick, a Georgetown University technology expert, called the arrangement hypocritical amid US efforts against Chinese AI threats. “It seems hypocritical to go out through WorldClaw to use these tools from China to try and make a bunch of money,” Bresnick told Reuters.
World Liberty Financial has defended the relationship, while WorldClaw describes itself as an independent AI company. The White House also rejected conflict-of-interest concerns surrounding the collaboration.
Trump’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have promoted WorldClaw on X. A World Liberty executive also advises WorldClaw on USD1 adoption and global AI partnerships.
The partnership highlights a growing tension between US AI policy and commercial demand for cheaper Chinese models. Security experts also warn that Chinese AI services could create privacy, monitoring and software risks for users.