The Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group announced it will invest $2 billion in Intel, while, according to U.S. media, President Donald Trump’s administration is considering purchasing around a 10% stake in the embattled U.S. chipmaker, AFP reported.

“This strategic investment reflects our belief that semiconductor manufacturing and supply will expand in the United States, with Intel playing a key role,” said SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son in a joint press release with Intel. The company will pay $23 per share for Intel common stock.

The decision comes amid discussions at the White House over whether the government should take a stake in Intel to bolster the U.S. semiconductor sector, Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal reported.

Since Trump’s return to power, Son has already announced several large-scale investments in the United States, including SoftBank’s lead role in the $500 billion Stargate project to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, in partnership with Oracle and OpenAI. The project was presented at the White House in January.

Intel Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan described the deal with SoftBank as evidence of the close relationship between the two companies and emphasized that they share a common vision to strengthen technological leadership and manufacturing in the United States.

Tan, a Malaysia-born veteran of the technology industry, had come under pressure to resign after a Republican senator raised concerns about his ties to companies in China. Last week, however, Trump defended him, praising him on social media and promising that his ministers would work with him on specific proposals.

Intel, one of Silicon Valley’s emblematic companies, is losing ground to the Asian giants TSMC and Samsung, which dominate contract chip manufacturing. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sharon Chen commented that although SoftBank’s investment may seem “small,” it suggests the company will likely increase its presence in the sector to become a leading player in its development. | BGNES