Mark Kelly, a Democratic Senator from Arizona and former astronaut, co-founded a company called World View in 2012. Initially focused on space tourism using balloons, the company’s technology evolved to provide remote sensing services to defense, scientific, and commercial customers. World View has primarily been providing services to the U.S. Department of Defense and scientific organizations like NASA and NOAA, using intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities from the stratosphere. Tencent, a Chinese venture capitalist with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, provided funding to World View in 2013 and 2016, raising concerns about potential Chinese influence.
Tencent, founded in 1998 by “Pony” Ma Huateng, is one of China’s largest corporations and has access to data from its popular social media platform WeChat, making it a powerful surveillance tool for the Chinese government. Despite Tencent’s ties to the Chinese government, World View stated that Tencent has no access or control over the company. After new leadership took over in 2019, they moved to ensure that World View was protected from any involvement from Chinese investors. However, Kelly’s early connections with Tencent may raise questions as he is being considered as a running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, especially in light of China’s surveillance activities over the U.S.
In 2019, Kelly stepped away from his position at World View to prepare for his U.S. Senate run. He placed his financial interest in World View in a blind trust and gave up all access, interest, and control over the company. Despite concerns about his ties to Tencent, Kelly stated that he only had a brief conversation with an individual from Tencent and did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. The New York Times highlighted Kelly’s political achievements, with a Republican operative mentioning potential political liabilities such as his involvement with a surveillance balloon company funded by Chinese venture capital.
World View continues to offer remote sensing services to various industries, including oil and gas, utility, mining, shipping, and insurance companies. The company’s services have expanded beyond space tourism to provide valuable data and insights to a range of clients. Kelly’s past involvement with World View and Tencent raises concerns about potential Chinese influence, especially in the context of China’s espionage activities over the U.S. The company’s efforts to distance themselves from Chinese investors may not fully alleviate these concerns, especially as Kelly’s political career progresses and he is considered for high-level positions.
As tensions between the U.S. and China remain high, Kelly’s ties to a company with Chinese funding may become a significant issue if he is selected as a candidate for vice president. Concerns about Chinese surveillance capabilities and data collection through companies like Tencent highlight the importance of understanding and addressing potential foreign influence in American politics. Kelly’s experience as an astronaut and businessman may be overshadowed by questions about his connections to Tencent and the implications for national security and privacy in the digital age. Effective transparency and accountability measures will be essential to address these concerns and maintain trust in the political process.
