In China, Elon Musk has been the object of love - and occasional loathing. The Tesla boss has been both lauded as a visionary and criticised by Chinese regulators and the public for the alleged bungling of customer complaints. In addition, the dominance of SpaceX and its Starlink satellite unit has raised the ire of the People's Liberation Army. โ€ŒAnd as the gap between Tesla and its Chinese EV rivals narrows, Musk is at risk of losing prestige and influence.