Business News

Musk’s Business Ties to China Involves National Security Risks: Expert

Distressed Patriotic Flag Unisex T-Shirt - Celebrate Comfort and Country $11.29 USD Get it here>>



Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s deepening relationship with China involves national security and business risks, according to Jon Pelson, author of “Wireless Wars, China’s Dangerous Domination of 5G and How We’re Fighting Back.”

Pelson, former chief convergence officer for British Telecom, referred to Musk’s unannounced trip to China on May 30—his first visit to the country in three years.

Musk first met with Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, where, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry, Musk shared his thoughts on American and Chinese economic interests while also praising China’s “vitality and promise.”

According to various Chinese media reports, Musk later announced that he would expand his business in China.

A statement published on Tuesday by the Chinese foreign ministry claims that Musk told Qin that the “interests of the United States and China are intertwined like conjoined twins.”

The foreign minister, meanwhile, told Musk during their meeting that both countries need to “keep the steering wheel in the right direction of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation” regarding their relationship.

Both nations should “avoid dangerous driving,” said Qin, China’s former ambassador to the United States

‘Game of Hegemony’

“The problem is Musk thinks of everything in terms of innovation and business, and he’s good at both. And he thinks, ‘You’re not going to be able to beat me at this.’ China is not playing that game. This is a game of hegemony, world influence, and domination, and less can win his innovation game against China,” Pelson told “China in Focus” on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times.

However, according to the expert, the communist regime’s end goals are “reliance, dependency on China, and influence on American companies of great importance.”

Pelson further singled out Tesla’s announcement on April 9 that it had struck a deal to build a megapack factory in Shanghai, which will produce 10,000 megapack units per year, equivalent to 40-gigawatt hours of energy storage.

Tesla planned to expand the Gigafactory Shanghai—its most productive automaking plant—to add an annual capacity of 450,000 units, Reuters reported in May.

Pelson believes the Chinese regime can get access to Starlink satellites or rockets owned by SpaceX, with Musk also being CEO.

“I don’t think they can get access to SpaceX or Starlink through the Tesla operations, but there’s no question they get access to the company that controls it and the people that control SpaceX and Starlink,” he said.

“They can have influence and have leverage on him and his companies,” he added, referring to Musk.

“And that’s where the worry for me really comes from—if he’s really killing it in China, selling a lot of cars, and buying a lot of batteries and inputs. You don’t want the guy who’s making the rockets that are sending us to the moon and Mars to have any undue influence from China.”

Chinese Infiltration of Markets

During his China trip, Musk reportedly met with Zeng Yuqun, chairman of top battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL).

According to a 2021 report by Inside EVs, the Chinese company is the third largest battery supplier to Tesla.

In Pelson’s opinion, “America would do well to keep them [CATL] at arm’s length as far as possible.”

He pointed to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s move to block the state from being considered for the site of Ford Motor Company’s battery manufacturing plant due to national security concerns. The automaker has an ongoing agreement with CATL to supply batteries to Ford’s electric vehicles.

“Made in Virginia cannot be a front for the Chinese Communist Party,” Youngkin said in a video using clips from his Jan. 11 address to the General Assembly at the beginning of a new legislative session.

Pelson believes Youngkin made the right decision.

“ I think it was the right thing. This is not a source of knowledge exchange. This is just again an infiltration by China into markets that they’re trying to get a foothold in,” he said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Tesla for comments.

Reuters and Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.



Source link

TruthUSA

I'm TruthUSA, the author behind TruthUSA News Hub located at https://truthusa.us/. With our One Story at a Time," my aim is to provide you with unbiased and comprehensive news coverage. I dive deep into the latest happenings in the US and global events, and bring you objective stories sourced from reputable sources. My goal is to keep you informed and enlightened, ensuring you have access to the truth. Stay tuned to TruthUSA News Hub to discover the reality behind the headlines and gain a well-rounded perspective on the world.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.