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China eyes Musk-Trump relationship

Nov 13, 2024, 6:00pm EST
Trump and Elon Musk at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
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Beijing is keeping an eye on Elon Musk’s closeness to US President-elect Donald Trump. Musk has considerable business interests in China through his electric vehicle company Tesla, making him one of the few people in the world with a line to both Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. That gives Xi a “friend with influence” in Washington, Bloomberg wrote, which analysts say could open the door for smoother US-Sino relations: Tesla supplier stocks are up in China, and Musk has previously opposed tariff hikes on China-made EVs.

Beijing’s space ambitions, though, could face a test, given that Musk’s SpaceX may benefit from his newfound political influence. But some in Trump’s orbit are reportedly already tiring of Musk’s constant presence.

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