Elon Musk, the celebrity CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has impressed hundreds of millions in China. With incredible artistry and deftness, he threads the needle of American politics in a way that only Trump can. Musk is revered for his business acumen and technological innovations. His close relationship with Premier Li Qiang and the social media celebrity of his mother, Maye Musk, add to his unique position in China.
It’s Musk’s recent proposal to upend Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill that has really raised eyebrows. He has called the legislation “crazy” and pledged to defeat legislators who vote for it. His devotion to political radicalism reached new heights with his announcement to form a third political party, the “America Party.” Such a bold move would be unprecedented on the heels of passage of Trump’s infrastructure bill in the Senate. This announcement has sparked all sorts of speculation on the Internet, especially on China’s heavily censored social media platforms.
The hashtag #MuskWantsToBuildAnAmericaParty took off on Chinese platform Weibo, reaching more than 37 million views. Many Chinese netizens have expressed their support for Musk, with one comment highlighting his popularity: “Brother Musk, you’ve got over a billion people on our side backing you.” This admiration is indicative of a trend where Chinese audiences completely eat up the innovations of American tech disruptors.
Musk’s relationship with Trump has at times been called antagonistic. Observers note that “these two grown men argue nonstop over the smallest things – and the whole world ends up knowing about it,” illustrating the public nature of their disagreements. As tensions escalate, many in China find Musk’s antics entertaining, with one user quipping, “Every day, Musk is basically live-streaming ‘How Billionaires Argue.’”
Musk’s growing influence is not just due to his technological innovations, but his cultural resonance in China. Walter Isaacson’s recent biography of Musk quickly became one of the bestselling books in the country, cementing his place as an influential celebrity with few peers. Analysts suggest that if Musk were to establish a political party, “his tech-driven mindset could inject fresh energy into politics,” signaling significant potential for change.