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Why are the Chinese backing Musk against Trump? Or is it China?
As the feud between US President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk heats up, an unlikely cheering section has emerged on Chinese social media. From hashtags hailing Musk's political ambitions to memes mocking Trump's latest threats, online sentiment in China seems firmly on Team Elon.
But is this merely digital fandom or a reflection of something deeper?
China's unexpected fandom
On Wednesday, the hashtag #MuskWantsToBuildAnAmericaParty surged to over 37 million views on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, after Musk floated the idea of founding a new political party in response to Trump's controversial spending bill. Many users rallied behind Musk, praising his 'tech-driven mindset' and joking that he had the backing of 'over a billion people.'
'Brother Musk, you've got us,' one user wrote. Another commented, 'When you've had enough, there's no need to keep putting up with it,' echoing Musk's own frustrations over Trump's governance style.
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The warm reception for Musk isn't surprising. In China, he's admired as a visionary, a disruptor, and an innovator. Tesla's massive Shanghai gigafactory is a source of national pride for many. Musk's longstanding relationship with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his mother Maye Musk's popularity as a social media personality in China only deepen his appeal.
But what raised eyebrows is not just the scale of Musk's support, it's the fact that this conversation has been allowed to flourish in China's otherwise tightly censored internet space.
Political drama, Beijing's gain?
The online support for Musk comes in the midst of an intensifying political spat between him and Trump, who has made retribution a key theme of his second-term campaign. After Musk publicly criticised Trump's sweeping 'Big Beautiful Bill'—a tax and spending package expected to add $3.3 trillion to US national debt, Trump fired back with veiled threats.
Asked by reporters outside the White House whether he would consider deporting the South African-born, naturalised US citizen, Trump said, 'I don't know. We'll have to take a look.'
He also threatened to unleash the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE), an agency Musk helped conceptualise—to investigate federal subsidies received by Musk's companies. Trump even joked about 'putting DOGE on Elon,' calling Musk a target of his newly revived cost-cutting crusade.
Musk, in turn, took to his platform X to respond with a mix of sarcasm and ominous foreboding. 'So tempting to escalate this,' he wrote, before adding, 'Physics sees through all lies perfectly.'
While Musk did credit Trump for brokering a ceasefire deal in Gaza—'Credit where credit is due', his broader stance has been combative. He reshared old tweets by GOP lawmakers criticising government spending, contrasting them with their recent praise for the very bill they once condemned.
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Tech hero vs trade warrior
Trump's unfiltered threats and unpredictable behaviour have long made him a contentious figure in China. Many still remember the aggressive tariffs, supply chain decoupling efforts, and confrontational rhetoric that defined his trade war with Beijing. By contrast, Musk represents an American face that fits more comfortably with China's vision of global business, pragmatic, technologically ambitious, and commercially intertwined.
Walter Isaacson's biographies of both Steve Jobs and Elon Musk were bestsellers in China, underscoring the cultural cachet these tech titans hold. Tesla remains one of the few Western brands in China that competes with local giants on equal footing, particularly in the electric vehicle space.
The Musk-Trump clash has offered Chinese internet users a front-row seat to an unfolding saga that's part tech drama, part political theatre. Many online have mocked the spectacle. 'These two grown men argue nonstop over the smallest things,' one user wrote. Another joked: 'Every day, Musk is basically live-streaming 'How Billionaires Argue.''
Fandom or foreign policy?
While much of the online support may appear organic, the fact that such commentary is being permitted and even amplified on China's heavily censored internet raises a question: is Beijing subtly encouraging the Musk fandom as a soft counter to Trump's return?
By allowing Musk to be lionised while Trump is ridiculed, Chinese authorities are believed to be sending a message about the kind of American leadership they find more palatable. Musk, despite his flaws, represents innovation and partnership. Trump represents confrontation.
And as the 2024 US election cycle looms, Beijing may quietly see value in fanning the flames of this very American feud.
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