Elon Musk made a visit to the Pentagon on Friday, sparking criticism and shedding light on the connections his companies have with both the US government and China. SpaceX, Musk's space exploration company, holds contracts worth $22 billion with the US federal government. In China, Tesla, another one of Musk's ventures, runs its largest factory called Gigafactory Shanghai, responsible for manufacturing approximately half of all Tesla vehicles as of last year.

Musk's visit to the Pentagon was primarily for a briefing on China, showcasing his increasing influence within the Trump administration and the strong ties his businesses have with both the US government and China. The purpose of the briefing was originally reported to be regarding classified information related to a potential conflict with China, but later it was clarified that Musk would receive an unclassified briefing. Although Musk's visit raised questions, US officials denied that the meeting was to discuss top-secret details regarding a possible war with China.

Despite the speculation surrounding the nature of Musk's visit, there have been objections from politicians like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who questioned Musk's presence at the Pentagon, citing his status as an unelected billionaire with personal interests. The legality of Musk's access to such information may be challenged, but legal experts believe that equal access to top-secret information is not guaranteed and has varied across different administrations.

Apart from his ties to the US government, Musk's businesses have significant connections to China, where he has expressed positive sentiments and even referred to himself as "pro-China" during an interview in 2023.