Report: Democrat Mark Kelly Helped Secure Chinese Tech Giant’s Funding

A report in RealClearPolitics (RCP) claims Democrat senatorial candidate Mark Kelly (AZ) helped secure a Chinese tech giant’s funds for his company.

Kelly is the co-founder of a space exploration company called World View.

RCP reports on investments into World View which were made by Tencent, “the world’s largest internet enterprises and the owner of the popular Chinese social media platform WeChat,”

RCP notes:

In the fall of 2014, Jane Poynter, the then-CEO of World View Enterprises, announced during a visit to Beijing that Tencent had invested an undisclosed sum in the Tucson-based venture. In April 2016, as part of a subsequent, $15 million investment round, World View announced that it had received more funds from Tencent, along with three other venture capital firms.

RCP points to Chinese news reports suggesting the Kelly was integral to securing the funds from Tencent.

RCP cites an article originally published in Mandarin in the Oriental Morning Post. The article says, “Tencent American leader named David met Mark Kelly, a space pilot of our team.”

The article continues:

After Mark introduced him to space travel technology, David was very interested and willing to invest at this stage. When I choose a partner, I value the contribution this partner can bring to the project, and Tencent can push our cooperation to China. I think it is very important.

Jane Poynter, World View co-founder in addition to former CEO, said that Kelly would not have shared technology information with the Chinese in 2014, claiming the ideas that have now become successful at World View–the Stratollite balloon, etc.–did not come until “years later.”

On March 14, 2020, Breitbart News highlighed a RCP report focused on the financial “windfall” Kelly’s company received from the Chinese tech giant Tencent.

Kelly has been mum on his company’s ties to China during his campaign speeches across Arizona.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.