Musk says Beijing does not need him to promote Starlink in China: FT report

BEIJING — Elon Musk instructed the Monetary Occasions the Chinese language authorities does not need him to promote his Starlink satellite tv for pc web service in China.

“Musk says Beijing has made clear its disapproval of his latest rollout of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite tv for pc communications system, in Ukraine to assist the navy circumvent Russia’s cut-off of the web,” the newspaper stated in its newest “Lunch with the FT” column printed Friday.

“He says Beijing sought assurances that he wouldn’t promote Starlink in China,” the article stated.

The FT didn’t say whether or not Musk agreed to Beijing’s request. The enterprise chief, who’s CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark.

Musk’s electrical automotive large Tesla depends on China for greater than 20% of its income and has a big manufacturing unit in Shanghai.

In distinction to the U.S. and different international locations’ condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this 12 months, China has refused to name the assault an invasion.

China has lately put higher emphasis on increase its personal expertise, together with in aerospace.

Home telecom giants, comparable to China Cellular and Huawei, have helped China obtain one of many highest penetrations of 5G web on the earth.

As well as, China accomplished its personal satellite tv for pc communications system, Beidou, in 2020. The system rivals the U.S. government-owned GPS, or International Positioning System.

The Chinese language Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Business and Info Know-how didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark.

The FT stated Musk expects Tesla could be caught up in “inevitable” battle over Taiwan, however will nonetheless have the ability to ship to clients in China.

Beijing considers the democratically self-ruled island a part of its territory and has repeatedly said its goal for peaceable reunification.

Musk stated his advice “could be to determine a particular administrative zone for Taiwan that’s fairly palatable, most likely will not make everybody blissful,” the FT reported.

Requested to reply to Musk’s Taiwan advice, a spokesperson of the Ministry of International Affairs in China stated: “We stay dedicated to the essential precept of peaceable reunification and One Nation, Two Methods and goal to work with the best sincerity and energy to attain peaceable reunification”

“On the identical time, we are going to resolutely defeat makes an attempt to pursue the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist agenda, push again interference by exterior forces, and safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson stated Saturday at a daily press briefing.

Qin Gang, China’s ambassador to the U.S., thanked Musk for the idea in a tweet.

Learn the complete FT interview right here.

— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.