Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called out Elon Musk and other American CEOs for catering to communist-controlled China for economic gain.

In a statement, Ramaswamy took issue with Musk’s recent meeting with China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, who released a statement praising the CEO for his support of Chinese business relations. In response, Tesla Vice President Grace Tao relayed Gang’s statement on the CCP-controlled social media platform Weibo. Ramaswamy said that Elon Musk allowed himself to become a geopolitical pawn of the CCP along with other CEOs.

“Elon Musk’s recent comments are part of a broader pattern of U.S. CEOs pandering to the Chinese Communist Party in return for favorable access to the Chinese market,” Ramaswamy said. “This is how the CCP turns American companies and executives into geopolitical pawns: the CCP dangles business benefits in return for prominent corporate executives speaking out and behaving in a manner that advances CCP objectives globally.”

Ramaswamy then cited Musk’s call for a “peaceful reunification” of Taiwan and China as an example of his dangerous praise of China. His comments were followed by the CCP awarding “Musk and Tesla with a favorable tax exemption in Shanghai.”

This past April, Tesla announced the construction of a new battery-pack factory in Shanghai.

“While I respect Elon Musk’s laudable efforts to transform Twitter, that does not change the risks of his dependence on China and public proclamations in favor of Chinese geopolitical interests,” said Ramaswamy. “Politicians, including even fellow GOP presidential contenders, who otherwise wax eloquent about the risks posed by China, are dependent on support from business leaders like Musk.”

“This makes the likes of Elon Musk an even more attractive partner for the CCP to deputize as a vehicle for their political bidding on the global stage,” he continued. “America is in a codependent relationship with China. Our decoupling is inevitable. The only question is who ends it first. It is most advantageous for it to be done on U.S. terms, and the sooner we do it, the better for us.”

Ramaswamy also called out other CEOs for their catering to the communist country, such as Houston Rockets owner  Tilman Fertitta when he denounced his team’s general manager, Daryl Morey, after he voiced support for the Hong Kong protesters in 2019. He also called out Nike CEO John Donahoe for saying that the U.S.-made brand is “of China, for China.”

“At the forefront of placing Chinese interests over American values, BlackRock was awarded a special license from the CCP to operate as the first foreign-approved asset manager over the summer of 2020,” the statement concluded. “Following long-term lobbying efforts and private joint ventures with China, BlackRock’s expansion in China was a long-term strategic goal. Mr. Laurence Fink, BlackRock’s co-founder and CEO, reputation as a ‘self-appointed arbiter of corporate behavior’ was viewed as hypocritical and called into question by his close connection with the CCP.”

Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.