Tesla in China

Navigating Geopolitical Risks in the New Era of Global Trade

The rules of global trade are being rewritten—and for Western tech companies, the stakes have never been higher.

As the U.S.–China relationship fractures, what used to be commercial partnerships are turning into strategic liabilities. Tesla, once hailed as a rare Western success story in China, now faces rising political risk, intensifying domestic competition, and the threat of losing access to its second-largest market.

This isn’t just about cars. It’s about AI, robotics, and autonomous systems that now straddle the line between economic asset and national security concern.

The next five years will likely define which companies survive the shift—and which get caught in the crossfire.

Inside this analysis:

• Why Tesla’s China play may follow the same pattern as Apple’s—and end the same way

• How China’s tech self-sufficiency push threatens Western intellectual property

• The new reality: software companies now need geopolitical risk strategies

• And how national security is becoming a boardroom issue in every tech company

The global economy isn’t deglobalizing—it’s reorganizing. And the winners will be those who can navigate the politics as well as the product.