On March 5, the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. China responded to President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs, as it declared it could fight the US on the same day, so the timing was appropriate. Any war.
As President Mark Greene (R-Tenn.) stated before the hearing, “From the American Higher Education and Operating Secret Police Station, and from the American Soils, we will undermine the supply chain.
Concerns about Elon Musk's ties with China aren't just partisan noise. They are authentic, bipartisan, and rooted in national security risks.
Green is correct, and that is the least of it. The CCP also played a key role in covering up and perhaps creating the Covid-19 virus that has owed illegal immigrants at the borders of the Southern US, attempting to buy strategic assets like the Panama Canal, killing more than a million Americans.
Countering the effects of CCP requires a multifaceted approach. It will ban Chinese citizens from purchasing American land, reaffirm control of the Panama Canal, use diplomacy to disrupt China's increasingly close ties with Russia, cancel Chinese students' visas at American universities, reuse supply chains, and strengthen the US Navy in preparation for potential conflicts.
However, the Congressional hearing failed to address one major vector of CCP impact. Government leaders and contractors, particularly notable, are the need to impose more rules on Elon Musk, an essential leader in government efficiency and federal national security contractor, to protect the United States from China.
Mask's connection to Beijing
Don't worry before rolling your eyes and closing this tab. This is not another do-do-master hit manipulated by a democratic national committee. I'm a Musk fan. The Democrat's “Musk Disruption Syndrome” – often completely xenophobia by attacking his legal immigrant status – is nothing more than a political messaging strategy aimed at rallying their bases and cutting them down with Trump's approval rating.
That said, concerns about Musk's relationship with China — but the intentional potential impact on the US may not be just partisan noise. They are authentic, bipartisan, and rooted in national security risks.
In February, Rep. John Mourenard (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Selection Committee on CCP, said that “CCP will try to take advantage of every opportunity” and that he will use Musk's business relationship to his advantage. Former Trump Campaign Manager Steve Bannon and former presidential candidate Vivek Lamaswamy have similarly warned of their proximity to masks and his ability to undermine US interests through his business interests.
The Billion Dollar Dilemma
Tesla is heavily dependent on China. It is the company's second largest market, suggesting that Musk could soon become the top market. Musk has secured more than $1.4 billion in loans from a state-controlled Chinese bank to build Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai. In return, he navigated the political landscape of China with businessman pragmatism. Sometimes they praise China's governance model and pledge to support the country's “core socialist values.”
While this may not seem like a big deal, there are concerns that Chinese law requires private companies operating domestically to provide the information they request from the Chinese government.
Doing business in China is not a crime. Neither of them say any favorable things about countries that may help sell more electric vehicles. But crime is when Congress doesn't look better at police defense contractors operating in China. It ensures that their businesses do not have the potential vulnerability to the risk of becoming prey to the country's military fusion laws or one of the CCP's most spying endeavors.
Taking steps to separate certain aspects of your business life from your government role is not unprecedented. President's Crypto Czar David Sacks has already done the right thing by liquidating his digital currency holdings before entering the White House. While Musk should not expect or require him to leave the company he founded, agreeing to basic surveillance or business requirements is a reasonable safeguard.
The solution is not to sideline musk. To implement a policy that ensures that his business transactions do not conflict with US national security interests. Congress must establish clear safeguards that protect both MUSK and the United States from the widespread impact of the CCP. America's future of security depends on it.
