Peter Thiel criticizes Google and Apple for being too close to China

Peter Thiel criticizes Google and Apple for being too close to China

Peter Thiel, co-founder and chairman of Palantir Technologies Inc., speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019.

Tech investor Peter Thiel criticized big U.S. technology companies for being too close to China at a Tuesday appearance at a virtual event held by the Richard Nixon Foundation.

Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and sits on Facebook's board after making an early investment, is an outspoken voice in the technology investment world is known for contrarian opinions and conservative leanings. He's backed defense contractors like Palantir and publicly supported former President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president.

On Wednesday, the Nixon session focused on China, and he was joined by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien.

Thiel criticized Google for its work on artificial intelligence with Chinese universities, partially because of conversations he claimed to have with company insiders, according to a transcript of the event reviewed by CNBC.

"Since everything in China is a civilian- military fusion, Google was effectively working with the Chinese military, not with the American military," Thiel said. He also sad that Google "insiders" told him that they worked with the Chinese because "they figured they might as well give the