Elon Musk Meets Chinese Minister After 3 Yrs

Sign Up For Free Breaking News Alerts To Receive Updates Straight To Your Inbox

"Join Our Breaking News Email List For Free"

On Tuesday, Elon Musk went to Beijing in China. He didn't tell anyone he was going there and it was a surprise. This was his first visit to China in over three years.

Without much warning, the Tesla CEO went on a trip to Asia. This could have a big impact on the company's operations there.

Musk is visiting Shanghai and going to the Tesla factory. He spoke with Qin Gang, who thinks relations between the US and China are bad. Musk will meet with more important Chinese people during his trip.

During a meeting, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was informed that US-Chinese relations require mutual respect. Mr. Qin joked that both sides should avoid being reckless. A ministry statement included this information.

According to a statement, Mr Qin said China will continue to promote high-level opening up. He also wants to create a business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalised.

The growth of China can benefit everyone.

Mr. Qin said that the electric vehicle market in China has a big potential for growth.

Tesla has opened its first factory in China. It's the only factory they have outside of the United States. Tesla wants to expand its production facilities in Shanghai. The Chinese government has to approve this plan before it can happen.

Elon Musk said on CNBC that expanding in China has some limitations, but it's not because of the demand.

In March, Reuters said Mr. Musk wanted to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang. The visit's timing depended on Mr. Musk's schedule.

In 2022, Tesla's plant in Shanghai produced more than half of the company's goods.

Mr. Musk could talk about Tesla's self-driving technology in China during his trip. Experts predict this might happen. Tesla has wanted to introduce this technology in China for a while.

After his trip to China, people on Twitter asked if the "free speech absolutist" got questioned about the country's censorship laws.

Foreign companies are worried after consulting firms were raided. Chinese relations with Washington are also tense.

Tesla now faces a lot more competition from Chinese car companies. These companies are selling electric vehicles both in China and around the world. Mr. Musk went to China to look at Tesla's operations there.

Bloomberg said Tesla wants to make a new Model 3 car. It will be tested in Shanghai. The aim is to do better in China than other car companies.

Tesla plans to construct a battery farm in Shanghai. They did not disclose information on expanding production at their Shanghai facility. The purpose of the battery farm is to manufacture Megapack energy storage units.

Before his journey, the head of SpaceX praised China's space program, saying it was more advanced than many thought.