Elon Musk Signs Letter Pledging Tesla’s Commitment to China’s ‘Core Socialist Values’

[GMDino]

https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-signs-letter-pledging-teslas-commitment-to-chinas-core-socialist-values/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Quote:Jul 7th, 2023, 11:02 am
3147 comments


Tesla CEO Elon Musk has signed onto a letter pledging his company’s commitment to China’s “core socialist values” in order to continue operations in the world’s most populous country.


Chinese authorities had demanded that electric vehicle automakers alter their behavior after Tesla and others in the industry slashed their prices last year in order to choke out smaller competitors, which Chinese officials characterized as “reckless.”


About a third of Tesla’s sales come in the Chinese market and Tesla was the only non-Chinese firm to sign on to the letter, according to the Financial Times.

Musk has become a kind of hero on the American right since purchasing Twitter last year, which he has promised to turn into a haven for free speech.


But the billionaire executive’s business entanglements with China have threatened that status. During a trip to China last month, Musk described United States’ and China’s economies as “conjoined twins” and expressed opposition to efforts to decouple the world’s two major powers.


Musk has praised the Chinese regime for “the economic prosperity” that it has achieved in Twitter replies to state media accounts and told the Financial Times last year that he believes Taiwan should be controlled by the Chinese Communist Party as a “special administrative zone.” The suggestion was quickly celebrated by Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang.

“I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question…” tweeted Gang.


Commentators across the political spectrum marveled at Musk’s stated commitment to “socialist values” on Twitter.

“How can you denounce a ‘woke mind virus’ one day and then turn around and pledge to the Chinese government that you will uphold ‘core socialist values’?” asked National Review‘s Jim Geraghty.

“Self proclaimed free speech absolutist Elon Musk’s Tesla has joined Chinese automakers in pledging to enhance ‘core socialist values,’ a term that generally denotes not criticizing the Chinese government,” observed Media Matters’ Matthew Gertz.


Tesla declined to provide the Financial Times with comment on the pledge.