Twitter and Tesla Collide in Beijing
China could exploit the carmaker’s large presence in the country as a source of leverage over the social media channel.
Elon Musk celebrates with Ying Yong, mayor of Shanghai, at a ceremony two years ago.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Elon Musk tweeted after clinching his $44 billion takeover of the social-networking platform. What about nondemocracies, though?
If there is one government that has reason to welcome Musk taking control of Twitter Inc., it is probably in Beijing. It now has a friendly face in charge of a global channel for information – and misinformation – that is central to Chinese authorities’ efforts to seed and amplify narratives favorable to the Communist Party state.