From electric cars to solar panels, Mr. Musk has built businesses in high-tech manufacturing sectors now targeted by Beijing for Chinese dominance.

Even as Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk is set to become a more controversial figure in China as part of Donald Trump’s administration, his mother is still a clear-cut favorite in the country.

It’s unclear how much power the office will have (it appears to be purely advisory), but judging by Musk’s public pronouncements, it could help to usher in wide-sweeping changes to major federal government programs.