In a conversation with billionaire Elon Musk, Mr. Trump warned that China's nuclear capacity will soon surpass that of the US.

On August 12, Mr. Donald Trump warned that China's nuclear capabilities - although still inferior to the US, but could surpass the world's number one superpower "sooner than people think".

Former US President Donald Trump (right) had a conversation with leading technology billionaire Elon Musk (left) on August 12 on social network X. (Source: AFP)

The Republican US presidential candidate shared the above comment in a live chat on social network X with leading technology billionaire Elon Musk.

Mr. Musk publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump last month and pledged to donate $45 million a month to the Republican candidate's re-election effort.

The live-streamed conversation, despite being delayed for 40 minutes due to a "massive DDOS (distributed denial of service) attack," continued for two hours, covering a range of hot topics including the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden's sudden suspension of his re-election bid, immigration, crime, etc.

Asked to assess the immediate risks the US may face, Mr Trump affirmed that "the warming of the nuclear race" was one of his biggest concerns.

"We have great nuclear power and you know, maybe some other countries are getting close to this goal, that's very dangerous. That's when our country needs a strong President...", Mr. Trump emphasized.

At the same time, he warned that although China's nuclear capabilities are still inferior to those of the US, "it will catch up with us sooner than people think... Eventually, they will catch up, and maybe even surpass us."

Mr Trump also criticised the political skills of his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, saying that the current Vice President was "not qualified" to lead. He said Ms Harris, if elected, would not know how to deal with China.

The conversation between America's top billionaire and the Republican presidential candidate marked Mr. Trump's return to social media.

Billionaire Musk had previously restored Mr. Trump’s X account, which had been suspended for inciting violence related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

However, the two also have opposing views on some issues. While Mr. Trump emphasized his desire to re-license oil and gas drilling in the US, billionaire Elon Musk has a "more moderate view."

The tech billionaire said that while he did not want to "condemn the oil and gas industry and the people who have worked so hard in those industries... over time, America needs to transition to a sustainable energy economy ."

Regarding the issue of electric cars, it is surprising that Mr. Elon Musk did not mention Mr. Trump's promises to impose tariffs on electric cars imported from China.

As the founder and CEO of Tesla, America's leading electric car maker, billionaire Elon Musk has a special interest in the Chinese market. In 2019, Tesla opened its first factory in Shanghai, boosting the US electric car market share in China. The success of the Group has brought Mr. Musk closer to the Chinese leadership.

In April 2024, the tech billionaire made a surprise visit to Beijing and met with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang. Speaking afterward, Li praised the American billionaire as a "model of success" in economic partnership with the world's number one power.

Billionaire Elon Musk warned in January 2024 that Chinese automakers would “destroy” global competition without trade barriers. But he later criticized the Biden administration’s tariffs on electric vehicles.

The US announced an additional 100% tariff on auto exports from China in May this year. The White House justified the decision by arguing that "Beijing's unfair trade practices are targeting Washington's strategic sectors".

"Neither Tesla nor I asked for this tariff. In fact, I was surprised when it was announced. Anything that interferes with free trade or distorts the market is not good. Tesla is competing quite well in the Chinese market without tariffs and without differential support. I support no tariffs," the world's richest person commented.

Still, Tesla faces competitive challenges in China. In June 2024, consultancy Counterpoint Research estimated that Chinese rival BYD would surpass the US manufacturer in sales this year.

BYD's sales in the second quarter of this year increased by nearly 21% to 426,039 units sold, according to CNBC . In contrast, Tesla lost market share in the same period, falling 4.8% to 443,956 vehicles sold.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has been a vocal critic of electric vehicles. In March 2024, the Republican candidate wrote on his personal account on the social media platform Truth Social that American auto workers would face a “bloodbath” if he did not win the election and imposed more tariffs on China.

But at the Republican National Convention in July, after formally accepting the party’s nomination, Mr. Trump adjusted his stance on the issue, accusing China of exploiting the USMCA—a free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada—by building “massive electric vehicle factories… across the border in Mexico,” and pledging to impose tariffs of up to 200% on cars made there.

But Mr. Trump also left open the possibility of exemptions for Chinese companies building factories on American soil, declaring: “The factories will be built in America and our people will be in charge.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/doi-thoai-voi-ty-phu-elon-musk-ong-trump-canh-bao-nang-luc-nu-nhan-cua-trung-quoc-se-som-vuot-my-281994.html