Long-shot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has been highly critical of billionaire Elon Musk, last week expressed his concern over the Tesla CEO visiting with China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang, The Epoch Times reported.
CNBC reported that Musk traveled to Beijing last Tuesday where he was scheduled to meet with senior Chinese officials before visiting the Tesla plant in Shanghai.
According to the Associated Press, Musk met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday where Qin reassured the Tesla CEO that foreign companies are welcome in China despite strained relations between Beijing and Washington.
Qin told Musk that the US and China must “keep the steering wheel” in the direction of “peaceful coexistence” and “mutual respect” while avoiding “dangerous driving,” according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Qin also reportedly told the Tesla CEO that China wants to create a “market-oriented” and “internationalized business environment,” adding that development in China “is an opportunity for the world,” according to the statement.
The Foreign Ministry also claimed that Musk expressed willingness for Tesla to expand its operations in China while voicing his opposition to “decoupling” with the country.
In a video posted on Twitter, Ramaswamy said it is “deeply concerning” that Musk would “oppose decoupling” and claimed that Musk referred to the US and China as “conjoined twins.”
Ramaswamy noted that the “conjoined twins” comment was posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo by Tesla’s Vice President in China and noted that a similar quote was not released in the United States.
Claiming that he has been one of the “most vocal supporters” of Musk’s efforts to “transform Twitter,” Ramaswamy said it was a “real risk” to the United States that Beijing uses the country’s “most prominent business leaders” and celebrities as “puppets” to advance its “agenda.”
Ramaswamy claimed that doing so has allowed China to tilt “the global scales of perception” in its favor.
The Soros-linked Republican presidential candidate said America needs a leader who isn’t “in China’s pocket.”
