Biden says Musk's foreign ties 'worthy' of scrutiny

Biden says Musk's foreign ties 'worthy' of scrutiny

Questions are being raised over the Saudi acquisition of a stake in Twitter as part of the takeover by billionaire Elon Musk
Questions are being raised over the Saudi acquisition of a stake in Twitter as part of the takeover by billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: Philip Pacheco / AFP/File
Source: AFP

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US President Joe Biden Wednesday said that Elon Musk's ties with foreign countries were "worthy" of scrutiny, amid questions over the Saudi acquisition of a stake in Twitter as part of the tycoon's blockbuster takeover.

"I think that Elon Musk's cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at," Biden said, answering a question from a reporter after a long pause.

"Whether or not he is doing anything inappropriate, I'm not suggesting that... That's all I'll say," he said.

Last month reports emerged that the Biden administration was weighing a national security review of Musk's $44 billion takeover of Twitter, in part because of a key group of investors backing the buyout.

The investors include Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund.

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Two US Senators have called for a vetting of the Twitter deal in order to prevent the platform from accessing user information that could endanger human rights activists and critics of the Saudi government.

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"We should be concerned that the Saudis, who have a clear interest in repressing political speech and impacting US politics, are now the second-largest owner of a major social media platform," said Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

Musk has also struck what's seen as a favorable public posture towards Vladimir Putin despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- notably by echoing the Russian president's talking points on the conflict.

And he has raised eyebrows by suggesting the self-ruled island of Taiwan should become part of China -- a stance welcomed by Chinese officials but which deeply angered Taiwanese officials.

Critics point to the industrial ties linking Musk to China, which has increasingly fraught ties with Washington.

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The tycoon's Tesla electric auto company has ramped up production to record levels at its Chinese factory in Shanghai.

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Source: AFP

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