News Brief
Beijing Regards Musk’s Satellites As Threat; Billionaire May Find It Harder To Operate In China: Report
Swarajya Staff
Jun 24, 2022, 02:52 PM | Updated 03:02 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
As per a recent report by the Financial Times, Tesla chief Elon Musk may find it harder to balance his business interests between the USA and China. As per the report, Tesla is ‘under increasing pressure from Beijing’s national security and data hawks, threatening his access to the world’s biggest consumer market’.
The trigger for Beijing’s latest concern, according to the report, came from Musk’s active support for Ukraine in the country’s conflict with Russia. In less than two days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Musk’s company SpaceX dispatched a shipment of Starlink satellite kits to fortify the country’s internet network. While this action was appreciated by the West it was viewed differently by China.
Importantly, China is where Musk’s company Tesla makes a quarter of its revenues.
According to the FT report, Beijing considers SpaceX and Starlink as critical parts of the US Space Military industrial complex and that several experts have warned that Musk will struggle to balance the competing interests of the rival superpowers as US-China space race accelerates.
The report mentions that Beijing’s military planners fear a scenario in which Musk’s satellites are deployed to conduct surveillance of China or support Taiwan.
The report quotes Dexter Roberts, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, saying that state-affiliated military researchers were very clear that Starlink “poses a threat to China”.
Also Read: China Begins Nationalising Private Schools In Order To Reform The Education Sector
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.