Tesla CEO Elon Musk flew to China on May 30 and met with China's first minister, Qin Gang. This is his second visit to China since 2018, and it is also a positive sign for China-US relations after a period of low ebb. During the talks, Musk made it clear that he opposes the "decoupling" and "broken chain" between China and the United States, and hopes to continue to expand Tesla's business in China and share development opportunities with China. Qin Gang used Tesla as an analogy, pointing out that Sino-US relations should avoid "dangerous driving", "step on the brakes" in time, and "step on the accelerator" appropriately. So, what is the purpose of Musk's visit to China?Why does he oppose the decoupling of China and the United States?Why did China receive him at a high level but refused the US Secretary of Defense's request for a meeting?What changes and trends in Sino-US relations do they reflect behind these problems?This article will analyze the background and significance of Musk's visit to China.
First of all, the background of Musk's visit to China is that the US economy is facing the threat of the US debt crisis, while China's economy is in a stage of high-quality development, and the size and potential of the domestic market are very large. As a business leader in the United States, Musk's companies cover many areas of social life, and he is naturally reluctant to give up the huge market of China. The main purpose of his visit to China is to promote Tesla's business development in China. In April this year, Tesla signed an agreement in Shanghai for the energy storage gigafactory project, which will start construction in the third quarter of 2023 and can produce 10,000 commercial energy storage batteries per year, with an energy storage capacity of 400,000 kilowatt hours. This is another major investment by Tesla in China, and Musk's trip is likely to communicate with local governments in China about the progress of factory construction. In addition, with the implementation of China's ecological protection policy, green travel will become the mainstream choice of Chinese society, and the market demand for new energy vehicles will continue to grow. Tesla, as a leading brand of new energy vehicles, is very attractive to the Chinese market, and Musk also hopes to seize this opportunity to increase Tesla's market share in China.
Secondly, the significance of Musk's visit to China is that he opposes the "decoupling" and "broken chain" between China and the United States, which shows that he values the economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States, and also reflects his influence on China-US relations. Musk is not only a business person, but also an important participant in American politics, and his views and positions can often influence the decision-making of the United States. Musk's opposition to the decoupling of China and the United States is based on his commercial interests and his judgment on the long-term development of China-US relations. He believes that economic and trade exchanges between China and the United States are where the common interests of both sides lie, and they are also an important foundation for maintaining the stability of Sino-US relations. If the economic ties between China and the United States are severed, it will not only cause huge losses to the economies of both sides, but also intensify the political confrontation between the two sides, and even trigger a military conflict. Musk's view is also supported by some other important business institutions in the United States, such as Apple, JPMorgan Chase, Starbucks, Pfizer, etc., all of which have huge businesses and revenues in China, and also hope that China and the United States can maintain good economic and trade relations. Musk's visit to China is also an expectation and effort for them to ease Sino-US relations.
Finally, the impact of Musk's visit to China is that China received him with a high level of performance, but rejected US Secretary of Defense Austin's request for a meeting, which conveyed China's attitude and position on Sino-US relations. China welcomes cooperation with the United States, but does not accept any interference or threats from the United States. China's reception of Musk is based on his important position in the business field and his positive contribution to Sino-US relations, which is a sign of respect and trust in him. The cooperation between China and Musk is also based on the principle of mutual benefit and reciprocity, which is a useful supplement to China's economic development and scientific and technological innovation. China's rejection of the US defense secretary is based on the insincerity and disrespect of the US side and the resolute defense of China's core interests. The United States is unwilling to lift sanctions on China's defense minister, and continues to carry out military provocations and smears against China, which completely violates the spirit of the phone call between the leaders of China and the United States, and also damages the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the United States. China's response to the United States is also based on an independent foreign policy of peace and self-determination, and is a firm defense of China's national dignity and sovereignty.
To sum up, Musk's visit to China is a positive event and a meaningful event, which reflects the potential of cooperation between China and the United States in the field of economy and trade and science and technology, as well as the differences and confrontation between China and the United States in the political field. Musk's visit to China is also an expectation and effort for him to maintain good economic and trade relations between China and the United States, and he also hopes that China and the United States can avoid military conflicts. China's reception of Musk is also an attitude and position of China towards Sino-US relations, and China welcomes cooperation with the United States, but does not accept any interference and threats from the United States. China's rejection of the United States is also a kind of attitude and stance of China towards China-US relations, and China can cooperate with other countries, but it will never accept "gifts" that override China's core interests.