Elon Musk and China
As a key US government appointee—and “key” would be a vast understatement—
You would expect Musk to place his businesses…where?
Hmm. He’s certainly an “international” man, so I suppose he’s doing business all over the place.
Nothing to see here, right?
Musk owns companies, he’s global.
Well…
In 2019, he opened a very big Tesla factory in Shanghai. Last time I looked, that’s in China.
The factory produces a whole lot of cars which are shipped across the world (Model 3, Model Y).
China itself is a very big market for Musk and his cars.
The Chinese government is doing Musk a big favor. It’s granting him full ownership of his Shanghai factory. Usually, if you’re a foreign car maker in China, you have to do a joint venture with a Chinese company.
In April 2024, Musk went to China and met with Premier Li Qiang. Musk is close with Chinese leaders. On the 2024 trip, he discussed introducing self-driving cars in China.
Again—Musk is now a MAJOR US government appointee. You could call him a Trump pick, but Trump is, after all, the number one guy in the government, so yes, Musk is working for the US government…
While doing MAJOR biz in China, with special favors.
He’s an American Firster, with deep connections in China.
Does that coupling sound a bit odd?
Oh well, probably doesn’t add up to much.
What has Musk said about China?