Former White House strategist Steve Bannon has recently deemed Tesla founder Elon Musk a "complete phony" who is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Newsweek tells us in a report.

Following Musk's tweet voicing interest in acquiring the recently defunct Silicon Valley Bank, Bannon made such accusations during an appearance on the Tim Pool Daily Show podcast.

Is Musk a CCP Puppet?

While Musk's tweet was in response to Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan's suggestion, Bannon took advantage of the opportunity to criticize Musk's alleged ties to the CCP.

Bannon responded by claiming that Twitter, which Musk acquired for $44 billion in October 2022, had blocked "anti-CCP" sentiments and that the CEO of the social media platform was "owned by the Chinese Communist Party."

Bannon claimed that Tesla was Musk's only valuable asset and that the CCP controlled its joint venture in Shanghai, which accounts for a significant number of manufactured Tesla electric vehicles. According to Bannon, this is why Musk never attacks the CCP, even during demonstrations against COVID-19 lockdowns.

Musks's Recent Moves Prove Otherwise

A Barron's report tells us that Tesla's share of the Chinese EV market, which includes both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, is around 10%, trailing BYD's 45%.

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China is crucial for Tesla's electric vehicles despite a lackluster market share, with the automaker relying heavily on its Shanghai factory. After an upgrade in 2022, Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory can now produce 1.1 million electric vehicles annually, making it the company's most productive manufacturing facility.

Newsweek also references an earlier quote from Musk, in which he lauded China's "economic prosperity" on the 100th anniversary of the CCP's founding.

But does this prove Musk is under the control of the communist party?

Chinese Officials' Recent Comments on Musk

In late February, Musk shared a report from the US Department of Energy expressing that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a Wuhan laboratory leak.

CNBC reports that a Chinese newspaper issued a warning to Musk in response. In the words of the newspaper, Musk may be "breaking the pot of China."

The CNBC report says that this is similar to the idiom "bite the hand that feeds you."

Musk-China Relations

This is not the first time that Musk's ties to China have been called into question. After Tesla opened a showroom in China's controversial Xinjiang region in 2022, BBC reports that US Senator Marco Rubio slammed the company for helping cover up the "slave labor" happening there.

However, one of the most significant events that has highlighted Musk's ties with China is one that the US Congress mentioned in March 2022.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk's ties to China are causing concern in Washington, including among some Republican lawmakers who have been staunch supporters of the billionaire.

Concerns center on the possibility of China gaining access to classified information held by Mr. Musk's closely held SpaceX, including through foreign suppliers with ties to Beijing.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

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