Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and sits on Automobilnews’s board after making an early funding, is an outspoken voice within the know-how funding world is understood for contrarian opinions and conservative leanings. He is backed protection contractors like Palantir and publicly supported former President Donald Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign for president.

On Wednesday, the Nixon session centered on China, and he was joined by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Nationwide Safety Advisor Robert O’Brien.

Thiel criticized Google for its work on synthetic intelligence with Chinese language universities, partially due to conversations he claimed to have with firm insiders, based on a transcript of the occasion reviewed by CNBC.

“Since all the things in China is a civilian- army fusion, Google was successfully working with the Chinese language army, not with the American army,” Thiel stated. He additionally unhappy that Google “insiders” informed him that they labored with the Chinese language as a result of “they figured they could as effectively give the know-how out the entrance door, as a result of in the event that they did not give it – it might get stolen anyway.”

A Google spokesperson informed CNBC: “These allegations are baseless. We don’t work with the Chinese language army. We’re proud to proceed our lengthy historical past of labor with the U.S. authorities, together with the Division of Protection, in lots of areas together with cybersecurity, recruiting and healthcare.”

Thiel additionally stated that Apple was unlikely to confront China due to its huge provide chain to fabricate iPhones and different merchandise within the nation. He famous that different huge know-how corporations like Automobilnews, Amazon and Microsoft do not have as in depth enterprise pursuits within the nation, in some instances as a result of the Chinese language authorities has restricted what they’ll do there.

He referred to as for the U.S. to place a “lot of stress” and scrutiny on Apple due to its labor provide chain within the nation.

“Apple might be the one which’s structurally an actual drawback, as a result of the entire iPhone provide chain will get made out of China,” Thiel stated. “Apple is one which has actual synergies with China.”

He additionally appeared to vary his place on Bitcoin in the course of the speak. Thiel has invested in Bitcoin corporations and beforehand stated he was “lengthy bitcoin” and considers it the “digital equal of gold.”

On Tuesday, Thiel stated that Bitcoin threatens the U.S. greenback.

“Though I am kind of a pro-crypto, pro-Bitcoin maximalist particular person, I do wonder if at this level Bitcoin also needs to be thought in a part of as a Chinese language monetary weapon in opposition to the U.S., the place it threatens fiat cash, but it surely particularly threatens the U.S. greenback, and China desires to do issues to weaken it, so China’s lengthy Bitcoin,” Thiel stated.