Elon Musk complains about China ban on X as Donald Trump prepares TikTok reprieve

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Elon Musk has hit out at the lack of reciprocity in US-China tech relations, a rare criticism from the billionaire on issues sensitive to Beijing after US President-elect Donald Trump is poised to delay a ban on TikTok in the US.

Muskwho has long sought to maintain close ties with Communist Party officials in China, a major market and manufacturing hub for his electric car company Tesla, has been careful about his statements about Beijing for years.

But he said Sunday that “something has to change” after Trump said he would “probably” extend the waiver deadline for Chinese tech group ByteDance. TikTok:which faced a ban under US law that briefly forced it offline.

Musk said that while he opposed banning the short-form video app on free speech grounds, “the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America and X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced.”

“Something has to change,” he said in a post on X.

Asked about Musk’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing welcomes any company that abides by its laws, and Chinese groups abroad must follow local rules.

Responding to Trump’s proposal to push TikTok, which started restoring service In a joint venture in the United States on Sunday, Mao said Chinese groups should “independently decide” on actions and deals.

Musk’s criticism was mild compared to his fierce attacks on Western politicians and recent incursions. the domestic politics of countries such as GermanyGreat Britain and Italy.

But it highlighted potential conflicts of interest for the Tesla chief between protecting his business interests in China and serving as a confidant to the incoming president and government efficiency czar.

In the third quarter, Tesla earned nearly a quarter of its sales from China and exported more cars from its Shanghai factory to third countries.

Some analysts believe Beijing is pinning its hopes on Musk as a potential go-between for Trump, who has promised to raise tariffs on imports from China that Chinese officials had earlier discussed using Musk as an intermediary To decide the fate of TikTok in the US.

Musk also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zhen on Sunday, who will present President Xi Jinping Trump’s inauguration. The presence of a high-ranking Chinese official like Han is unprecedented at US presidential inaugurations, where Beijing usually presents its ambassador to Washington.

“Han met. . . Elon Musk and welcomed American companies, including Tesla, to seize opportunities and share the fruits of China’s development,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

On Sunday, Han also met with business leaders from the US-China Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce, as well as Trump’s new Vice President JD Vance.

Hahn and Vance discussed the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, which successive US administrations have pushed Beijing to crack down on, as well as regional stability and balancing trade, the Trump-Vance transition team said in a statement.

US business leaders have previously tried to play a moderate effect In the often-volatile Sino-US relationship, Beijing appears to be eager for encouragement ahead of a second Trump administration.

Han described American business as the “backbone” of relations between the countries and urged businesses to “play an active role as a bridge” in US-China relations, Xinhua reported.