During an interview with the "All In" podcast, the world’s richest man said that Americans must "stop the infighting" amid the growing hegemony of China.
"What we’re going to see with China, for the first time that anyone can remember who is alive, is an economy that is twice the size of the U.S., possibly three times the size of the U.S., and it’s going to be very weird living in that world," Musk explained, as reported by Fox Business. "So, we better stop the infighting in the U.S. and stop punching ourselves in the face. There’s way too much of America punching itself in the damn face, it’s just dumb, and think about, hey, ’We gotta be competitive here.’"
With $23 trillion in economic output last year, the United States presently boasts the world’s largest economy. However, China — which boasts a $17.7 trillion economy and has averaged 10% annual GDP growth since 1978 — continues to expand its consumer sector and draw attention from businesses in the Western world.
"There’s a new kid on the block that’s going to be two to three times our size," Musk warned. "We better step up our game and stop infighting."
Amid the rise of China, Musk urged American businesses to stand down from political controversies. "The point of a company is to produce useful products and services for your fellow human beings," Musk said. "It is not some political gathering place."