Elon Musk could be a bridge between the U.S. and China — but for which country's benefit?

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s financial interests in China have raised concern that they could influence his work as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.

SHANGHAI — With billionaire tech executive Elon Musk busy upending the U.S. government with deep cuts as the Trump administration slashes the federal workforce, one of the companies that helped him build his fortune has reached a new milestone in China.

Musk's electric vehicle maker Tesla now has two facilities in Shanghai. Along with the nearby Gigafactory, Tesla’s first production center outside the United States, the new $200 million Megapack battery plant that opened last month is critical to Musk’s continued success in China and beyond.

The Gigafactory produces 1 out of every 2 Teslas in the world, or about 1 million cars a year. In addition to producing for the Chinese market, it exports cars to Europe and other parts of Asia, though not yet to the U.S.

Musk’s cars have been credited with helping China to create an EV industry that now leads the world. In exchange, China has become Tesla’s biggest market outside the U.S.

“China is absolutely central to the success story of Tesla globally,” said Michael Dunne, chief executive of the San Diego-based advisory service Dunne Insights. “Take China out of the picture, we have a completely different Tesla.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/elon-musk-china-tesla-trump-doge-xi-beijing-washington-rcna195587

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