Elon Musk, a prolific presence on Twitter and owner of the social media platform, hasn't tweeted since arriving in China for his first visit since the pandemic.
Up till the early hours of May 30, Musk had tweeted every single day in 2023 - often multiple times. His silence in China marks the billionaire's longest hiatus from the platform since June 2022, when he was in the midst of buying Twitter and taking it private. Many foreign social media platforms are banned in China, including Twitter and Facebook, although they are widely accessed over virtual private networks, or VPNs.
Musk, who also runs Tesla Inc., met with Chinese government officials and local business leaders during his visit, and said the interests of China and the US were intertwined. He said that Tesla opposed decoupling from China as it was willing to keep expanding in the country, according to a government statement.
It's possible to visit banned social media and news sites over VPNs, a tool that allows users to bypass China's censorship machinery by creating a secure and encrypted connection. The personal use of VPNs is illegal in the country but enforcement is uneven and many in China continue to use the service.
The uncharacteristic silence has some Twitter users wondering if Musk hasn't been able to set up a VPN or that he didn't feel it was appropriate. However, the billionaire has had a busy itinerary, including meeting the staff at Tesla's Shanghai plant late Wednesday evening.
Featured Video Of The Day
Union Budget 2024: What India Inc. Wants
"I'm Sick Of...": Joe Biden Uses Covid Diagnosis To Attack Donald Trump, Elon Musk Did A Massive Dam In China Alter Earth's Rotation? The Truth Behind Viral Claim China Can't Defeat US If We Revive "American Dream": Vivek Ramaswamy World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Relationship Timeline Of Hardik Pandya, Wife Who "Parted Ways": 5 Facts Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Himachal To Build Its 1st Road Using Full Depth Reclamation Technology Trump-Style Ear Bandages New Trend At Republican National Convention Delhi University Inviting Applications For Course In Pali/Tibetan Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.