Elon Musk Meets Chinese Foreign Minister
Get Breaking News Alerts For Free, Sent Straight To Your Email
Get Free Breaking News Emails By Signing Up
On Tuesday, Elon Musk went to Beijing. It was a surprise visit. He hadn't been to China for more than three years.
The head of Tesla didn't tell anyone about his trip. It could be a big deal for the company in Asia.
Mr. Musk visited China for the first time. He is planning to visit the Tesla factory in Shanghai and meet important Chinese officials. His first stop was to meet with the foreign minister Qin Gang. Qin Gang recently said that China's relationship with the US is not friendly.
During a meeting, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was informed about the need for mutual respect in US-China relations. Mr. Qin joked about avoiding dangerous driving. The Chinese Ministry released a statement about the meeting.
According to a statement, Mr Qin said China will keep promoting high-level opening up. The goal is to have a business environment that's market-oriented, law-based, and internationalised.
China's progress can benefit the world. The country's growth can bring opportunities. Many people can benefit from it. The world can be a better place.
Mr. Qin said that China's electric vehicle market has a lot of potential.
Tesla has a factory in China outside of the United States. They want to make it bigger, but need approval first.
Earlier this month, Mr. Musk spoke to CNBC about their expansion in China. He said there are some limits to their expansion, but it's not because of a lack of demand.
In March, Reuters said Mr Musk wants to talk to Chinese premier Li Qiang, but his visit depends on when he's free.
In 2022, Tesla made more than half of its cars in Shanghai.
People think Mr. Musk may want to talk about Tesla's self-driving technology during his trip to China. Tesla has been trying to bring this technology to China for a while.
When the "free speech absolutist" visited China, Twitter users speculated if he would be questioned regarding the country's strict censorship laws.
Foreign companies are worried because consulting firms have been raided. The Chinese relationship with Washington is also tense.
Mr. Musk visited Tesla during a time when Chinese car makers are producing more electric vehicles and exporting them. This is making competition more intense for Tesla.
Bloomberg said Tesla plans to test Model 3 sedan in Shanghai. Tesla wants to compete better with its rivals in China.
Tesla will create a battery farm in Shanghai. They plan to build Megapack energy storage units. They haven't said how they'll increase output at the Shanghai plant.
The boss of SpaceX complimented China's space program before his trip. He said it's more advanced than many people think.
