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

A day after Intel ( INTC) stock slid more than 3% following political calls for his resignation, CEO Lip-Bu Tan publicly defended his record and emphasized his commitment to U.S. national security.

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.