Could Elon Musk’s Twitter Deal Give China Influence Over The Site?

As the world sorts out the implications of Musk's deal to purchase the social media platform, observers are wondering if it also opens the door for China to exert control over it.

After rejecting Musk's initial overtures, the company's board said it would accept his $44 billion offer.

China was the highest source of vehicle production and likely the second-biggest source of sales. The electric-car maker's source of profit is a result of the lower costs of production there. According to a long-time correspondent for the New York Times, China banned the social networking site in 2009. With Musk's deal, the country may have had an influence over the social networking site.

Jeff Bezos asked if the Chinese government gained a bit of leverage over the town square.

The first foreign car company in China to wholly own an auto-assembly plant wasTesla. Previously, global giants were required to partner with local Chinese companies, who typically owned a majority stake in joint-venture factories. Funding for the facility included loans from local banks such as China Construction Bank Corp, Agricultural Bank of China, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. China watchers believe that the government wanted the company to push the Chinese auto industry to compete with the brand. It seems to have worked as local companies including BYD and NIO have become fast-growing rivals toTesla in that market with a range of attractive, compelling new electric models.

Musk has shown a willingness to comply with Chinese government wishes in ways that he often doesn't in the U.S. Musk bristled at a stay-at- home policy by local officials that temporarily suspended production work at the plant.

He said in an earnings call in April 2020 that this is fascist. This is not freedom. Give people their freedom back.

Musk was silent when the company had to stop production at its Shanghai plant for three weeks because of the Chinese government's zero-tolerance approach to stopping the spread of omicron-variant of covid. The Model Y and Model 3s were built under strict protocols that included having workers temporarily live at the plant and not returning to their homes.

The Chinese government is accused of operating internment camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups, as well as carrying out an assimilation program, as evidenced by the opening of a showroom by the electric car maker. Musk hasn't commented on the decision, which was announced in a post on Weibo, China's popular social-media platform.

Many China watchers note thatElon Musk has a factory in China that he wants to open more of. What happens if Beijing leans on him about something? The Vice News reporter asked if the Chinese were using this platform to spread misinformation.

If Musk thinks that he can tell China to piss off if Beijing ever starts leaning on him about social media, he will find out how efficient the Chinese state can be.

The shares fell less than 1% on Monday. The social networking site rose 5.7% to $51.70.