New Delhi: Two Democratic US senators, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Andy Kim of New Jersey, have called on the Department of Defence (DOD) to review Elon Musk-led SpaceX over potential Chinese investments in the company, The Hill reported.

The senators raised concerns that Chinese investors may have secretly acquired stakes in SpaceX, a key contractor for the DOD. In a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, they cited recently unsealed court records and a March ProPublica investigation as evidence.

“These ties could pose a national security threat, potentially jeopardising key military, intelligence, and civilian infrastructure, and are at odds with the administration’s policies on foreign investment from countries of concern in strategic industries,” the senators wrote.

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According to the unsealed testimony of a SpaceX investor last October, the company has been aware of potential Chinese investments since 2015. The ProPublica report also highlighted that SpaceX allows Chinese investors to acquire stakes through offshore accounts.

The investigation further revealed that SpaceX executives had cancelled a $50 million investment from a Chinese firm after news of the deal became public.

“The mere proposition that an adversary nation such as China could have leverage and influence over a company such as SpaceX, one that underpins our national security apparatus, is an unacceptable risk,” the senators wrote, emphasising the company’s critical role in national security.

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SpaceX currently holds billions of dollars in contracts with the DOD, including a $5.9 billion launch services agreement. Warren and Kim also expressed fears that Chinese investors could gain access to nonpublic company information to “undermine US national security.”

The senators have requested a response from Secretary Hegseth by February 18, including information on how the DOD plans to address these potential security concerns, the report said.