Alex Bruno
President Joe Biden responded on Wednesday when asked whether Elon Musk constituted a danger to national security, saying that the billionaire’s “relationships with other nations is worthy of being looked at.”
At the White House, Biden told reporters, “I believe that Elon Musk’s collaboration and/or technological partnerships with other nations are worthy of being looked at.
“I don’t want to imply that he is acting inappropriately, but it’s worth looking into whether or not he is. And that’s all I have to say,” he said.
Business interests in China are important to Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and the new owner of Twitter.
Although it is Tesla’s second biggest market, China is also home to almost half of the company’s global production capacity. Musk has come under fire for his close ties to the Communist Party, which controls China.
Some individuals have expressed worry that Musk’s connections to China may influence the way he manages Twitter.
For example, Musk may hesitate to delete state-sponsored disinformation campaigns or propaganda from China out of fear that it may hurt his commercial links with Beijing.
He suggested Taiwan become “a special administrative zone” of China in October, a suggestion that was well received in China but rejected by Taiwan.
The link between Musk and Saudi Arabia has also drawn criticism. Kingdom Holding Co. of Saudi Arabia and the private office of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said last month that they will assist Musk fund the acquisition of Twitter by rolling over their current investment, which is worth around $1.89 billion, according to CNBC.
Prince Alwaleed said on Twitter, “Together all the way.”
Source: NBC News
