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Elon Musk took issue with the lack of reciprocity in the US-China technology relationship, a rare rebuke from the billionaire on issues sensitive to Beijing after US President-elect Donald Trump prepared to offer a deadline to ban TikTok in the US.
Muskwho has long sought to maintain close ties with Communist Party officials in China, a core market and production hub for electric car company Tesla, has been cautious for years in his statements about Beijing.
But he said on Sunday that “something needs to change” after Trump said he would “probably” extend the deadline for Chinese tech group ByteDance to divest from its investments in it. Tik Tokwhich faced a ban under a US law that forced it offline for a brief period.
Musk said that while he opposes banning the short-form video app on freedom of expression grounds, “the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China, is lopsided.”
“Something needs to change,” he said in a post on X.
In response to a question about Musk's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Monday that Beijing welcomes any company that abides by its laws and that Chinese groups abroad are obligated to follow local rules.
In response to Trump's proposal to push TikTok, which… Service recovery has begun In the United States on Sunday, in a joint venture, Mao said Chinese groups should “independently decide” on operations and deals.
Musk's criticisms were mild compared to some of his fierce attacks on Western politicians and recent intrusions into politics The internal politics of countries such as GermanyThe United Kingdom and Italy.
But it highlighted the Tesla CEO's potential conflict of interest between protecting his business interests in China and serving as a confidant to the incoming president and a government efficiency czar.
Tesla received nearly a quarter of its sales in the third quarter from China, and it also exported more vehicles from its factory in Shanghai to third countries.
Some analysts believe that Beijing is pinning its hopes on Musk as a potential mediator with Trump, who has pledged to increase tariffs on imports from China. Chinese officials had discussed it earlier Using musk as a medium To resolve the fate of TikTok in the United States.
On Sunday, Musk also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who… President Xi Jinping will be represented At Trump's inauguration. The presence of a senior Chinese official like Han is unprecedented at the inauguration of a US president, as Beijing is usually represented by its ambassador in Washington.
“Han met… Elon Musk, and welcomed US companies including Tesla to seize opportunities and share the fruits of China's development.
Han also met with business leaders from the US-China Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce on Sunday, as well as Trump's incoming Vice President J.D. Vance.
The Trump-Vance transition team said in a statement that Hahn and Vance discussed the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, which successive US administrations have prompted Beijing to crack down on, as well as regional stability and trade balance.
US business leaders have in the past sought to play a role Moderate effect In the often volatile Sino-American relationship, a role that Beijing appears keen to encourage ahead of a second Trump administration.
Han described US business as the “backbone” of relations between the two countries, and urged companies to “play an active role as a bridge” in US-China relations, Xinhua said.
