The reasons why Elon Musk never criticizes the communist dictatorship of China

The owner of Tesla and X (Twitter) often defines himself as a staunch defender of freedom of expression.

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Certainly, his purchase of Twitter served to restore freedom of expression on that social network, as I have already pointed out several times on this blog. In fact, in that company policy, Musk has ended up colliding with the plans of the European Commission, as we saw last year, when the owner of Twitter denounced a plan by Brussels to impose censorship on that social network.

... but he never criticizes the communist dictatorship of China

However, there is something that really catches Musk's attention, besides the fact that he shares pro-Russian hoaxes that serve to favor Vladimir Putin's dictatorship. As anyone can see, despite his loquacity on Twitter, Musk never publishes any criticism of the communist dictatorship of China, something that is striking, especially if we take into account that it is the largest dictatorship in the world, a totalitarian regime that tramples on freedom of expression and other human rights. In fact, Musk's silence is especially strange considering that China has blocked access to Twitter.

Musk's significant business interests in China

One does not have to look far to find the reasons for this striking silence. On February 10, an American media outlet, The American Prospect, shed some light on the matter:

"Musk’s ties to China largely revolve around Tesla. The company’s largest factory is in Shanghai, where it produces half—over 900,000—of its vehicles sold worldwide. One source estimated that nearly 40 percent of Tesla’s battery supply chain relied on Chinese companies, and those relationships are growing. In 2022, Tesla opened a showroom in Xinjiang, where China is conducting a cultural genocide against its Uyghur minority. Tesla then built a large battery factory in 2024, also in Shanghai. It seems Musk likes the hyper-repressive Chinese labor system; he praised his Chinese employees for burning the “3 a.m. oil” in 2022.

Tesla has also received large government subsidies, both tacit and explicit, from the Chinese state. It was the first and so far only foreign car company allowed to operate by itself in the Chinese market, as opposed to others like Volkswagen that had to form a joint venture with a Chinese company. Tesla has also secured more than half a billion dollars in loans from state-owned banks there, as well as a 10 percentage point break on its corporate tax rate that lasted until 2023."

Musk praises the 14th five-year plan of that dictatorship

In a message posted in 2023, Musk noted that in 2020 "Tesla China had about 20,000 employees and contractors", a considerable number. In March 2021, Musk was interviewed by China Central Television (CCTV), controlled by the Communist Party of China (CPC), on the occasion of the approval of the 14th Five-Year Plan of that dictatorship. The Tesla owner showered the country controlled by a dictatorship with praise and outlined his plans for it:

"China's economic development will be positive in the next decade. It is also betting on a future characterized by sustainable energy. We manufacture automobiles and, in the long term, China will be our largest market, where we will produce the largest number of vehicles and have the largest number of customers."

Regarding the 14th five-year plan, Musk noted:

"I would like to express an optimistic view. I am very confident that China's future will be bright. China is on its way to becoming the world's largest economy and will be even more prosperous in the future, and this five-year plan will be an important part of achieving this prosperity."

Concern in the US over Musk's ties to China

As of today, Musk's proximity to and outsize influence over Donald Trump is a cause for concern for both Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers, as Reuters noted a week ago:

"The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives' select committee on China warned on Tuesday that Beijing may try to exert leverage with Elon Musk in a bid to win favorable U.S. policies, and that Washington must counter any such effort.

Republican committee chair John Moolenaar and Democratic ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi said they believed the Chinese Communist Party wants to use U.S. business leaders including Musk, who have commercial interests in China, to advance its goals in talks with Washington."

Republican committee chairman John Moolenaar said: "To the question of Elon Musk, I do believe that the CCP will try and leverage any opportunity," adding: "Are people going to be looking for that and make sure that his lane is one that is not influencing China policy? I believe that is the case." Meanwhile, Raja Krishnamoorthi of the Democratic Party warned about how they view Musk in China: "They absolutely see him as an asset to them in any kind of negotiations, a way to bypass Rubio, a way to bypass Waltz, a way to bypass those whom they see to be less friendly to them on their issues."

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Photo: Reuters.