‘China makes half the goods of Earth’: Elon Musk’s surprising take sparks debate

Elon Musk has taken a surprising take on China’s manufacturing power especially at a time when both Washington and Beijing are locked in tech rivalry and protectionism.

Recently, the tech rivalry between the US and China has intensified as the Trump administration announced a ban on new imports of foreign-made “advanced robotic devices” citing significant security risks. Most of these robots were made in China.

Moreover, the Federal Communications Commission also added these technologies to its “Covered List,” effectively prohibiting them from receiving the equipment authorizations required for the US sale and distribution. China in response also threatened countermeasures.

In the wake of this ban, one user on X posted, “Chinese robots banned in the US.”

“Makes sense. If I were China, I'd load these things with an Order 66 -- flip it on later, boom, I've got a droid army already inside the US.”

Another user responded to this post, “Yes, thankfully now they only make our phones, computers, security cameras, WiFi routers and TVs.”

Here comes a surprising take from the 54-year-old billionaire, who replied, “China makes half the goods of Earth.”

Musk’s comment drew various responses from the netizens. For instance, Shen Shiwei who is an analyst & commentator on China's politics, posted, “China and Tesla also have a good partnership. Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory posts 28.4% H1 delivery growth as China powers the American EV giant's second-quarter earnings.”

For the unversed, Tesla has just hit a milestone by producing 10 million Tesla vehicles globally at Fremont Factory this week. And Elon Musk congratulated the Tesla team in a recent post as well.

One user wrote, “They will soon lead the car industry also,” referring to Musk’s Tesla. Another commented, “So half the goods of earth are cheap trinkets that humanity doesn't really need and we're all drowning in consumerism and materialism.”

Some hoped that if both countries set aside unhealthy competition, things would get better for humanity, stating, “I hope one day the two great powers of the world can work together rather than engaging in protectionism out of fear and mistrust, humanity would be unstoppable.” 

China produces nearly 30% of the world’s manufacturing output, more than any other country, while the United States accounts for roughly 17–18%.