US President Donald Trump-backed World Liberty Financial is collaborating with WorldClaw, a Hong Kong-based artificial intelligence platform that provides access to AI models developed by several Chinese technology companies facing U.S. national security scrutiny, according to Reuters.
WorldClaw, founded earlier this year, allows users to access a range of AI models and accepts World Liberty's crypto tokens as payment. The Trump family owns a 38% stake in World Liberty and earns revenue from the company's cryptocurrency activities.
A Reuters review found that 43 of the 90 AI models available through WorldClaw were developed by Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, Baidu, Z.ai and others. The platform also provides access to models developed by U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
The arrangement is not illegal, and Chinese AI models have been gaining traction globally, partly because they are often cheaper than comparable offerings from U.S. companies. However, experts in Chinese technology, trade and government ethics see a potential contradiction between the collaboration and the Trump administration's tougher stance toward certain Chinese technology firms.
WorldClaw Offers Models From Chinese Firms
Some of the Chinese AI models available through WorldClaw come from companies that have faced restrictions or scrutiny from the U.S. government.
Alibaba and Baidu have been designated by the U.S. Department of Defense as Chinese military companies, a designation that limits Pentagon dealings with them. Z.ai, formerly known as Zhipu AI, is on the U.S. Commerce Department's entity list, which imposes significant restrictions on access to U.S. technology.
WorldClaw also offers models from DeepSeek and Moonshot, Chinese technology companies that Trump administration officials have accused of taking intellectual property from U.S. AI rivals. Reuters reported that those companies did not respond to requests for comment.
Alibaba has disputed its designation by the Pentagon, saying it is not a Chinese military company and challenging the U.S. government's determination.
Trump Family Has Financial Interest
The report by Reuters stated that it could not establish the precise financial arrangements between World Liberty and WorldClaw or determine how much the Trump family has earned from cryptocurrency payments made through the platform.
WorldClaw accepts World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin as a payment option. USD1 is backed by traditional assets, including U.S. Treasury securities, allowing it to maintain a value linked to the dollar. World Liberty earns revenue from the assets backing the stablecoin, while the Trump family is entitled to a share of the interest generated, Reuters reported.
World Liberty executive Ryan Fang has also worked as an external adviser to WorldClaw, particularly on USD1 adoption, partnerships and expanding access to AI services, according to Reuters.
Trump's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have promoted WorldClaw on X. Reuters reported that Donald Trump Jr. promoted a WorldClaw contest whose winners were due to meet him at Mar-a-Lago, while Eric Trump described the collaboration as a significant development for the future of finance.
Reuters reported in June that the Trump family's earnings from World Liberty token sales had exceeded $1.4 billion, making up the largest portion of more than $2.3 billion the family had earned from cryptocurrency activities.
White House Defends Collaboration
The White House said there was no conflict of interest involving the relationship between World Liberty and WorldClaw, Reuters reported.
A World Liberty spokesperson told Reuters that WorldClaw is an independent company and noted that major U.S. technology companies also offer access to AI models developed by both Chinese and American firms.
WorldClaw said in a statement reviewed by Reuters that it is independently owned and operated and is not managed or controlled by World Liberty or its affiliates. The company also said that making an AI model available on its platform does not amount to an endorsement of its developer.
The U.S. Commerce and Defense departments did not respond to Reuters' questions about the WorldClaw relationship.
Security Concerns Surround Chinese AI
The collaboration comes as Washington and Beijing compete for leadership in artificial intelligence and seek to manage growing concerns about an AI arms race.
Reuters reported that WorldClaw's WorldRouter service acts as an aggregator, providing users with access to multiple AI models. The company's website says it has more than 10,000 users and handles more than 50 million requested tasks each day.
WorldClaw is also developing an AI-agent application designed to perform tasks such as ordering food and summarizing emails, according to its website.
Experts cited by Reuters warned that Chinese AI models could expose users to risks including potential monitoring by Chinese authorities, censorship of AI outputs and malicious code that could compromise AI agents.
WorldClaw's website says the company may share user inputs with the companies providing its AI models. The company told Reuters that it applies privacy and security safeguards to its platform.
Tension Between Policy and Commercial Interests
The WorldClaw relationship illustrates the growing tension between Washington's national security concerns over Chinese technology and the commercial appeal of increasingly competitive Chinese AI models.
The Trump administration's approach to Chinese AI remains fluid. Trump has emphasized the need for the United States to maintain its technological lead over China, while U.S. and Chinese officials have also sought to reduce tensions ahead of a planned summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
For World Liberty, WorldClaw offers another potential channel for adoption of its USD1 stablecoin, but the Trump family's financial interest in World Liberty means the partnership is likely to remain under scrutiny as the administration balances business interests with its broader national security strategy toward Chinese technology.
