Elon Musk Meets China Foreign Minister After 3 Years

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On Tuesday, Elon Musk went to Beijing for an unexpected trip to China. It's been more than three years since his last visit there.

The CEO of Tesla didn't say much before going on a trip. This trip could be really important for Tesla's work in Asia.

Mr Musk visited the foreign minister, Qin Gang. Their meeting was the first of his trip. He will also go to the Tesla factory in Shanghai. There, he will meet senior Chinese officials. The foreign minister previously said that relations with the US were not good. He called it "cold ice".

Mr. Qin said US-China relations need mutual respect to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX during their meeting. Qin joked about avoiding dangerous driving. The ministry made a statement about the conversation.

According to a statement, Mr Qin said China will continue to open up and create a good business environment. He wants a market-oriented, law-based and internationalised environment.

The growth of China is good for everyone. It gives opportunities for other countries to grow as well. China is a big market for goods and services. This can help other countries to find new customers. It also gives a chance for people to learn about China and Chinese products. China’s development can bring new ideas and innovations to the world.

Mr. Qin said China's electric vehicle market has a lot of potential. The ministry quoted him as saying this.

Tesla's first factory outside of the US is in China. Tesla wants to expand its facilities in Shanghai. The plan has not been approved yet.

Earlier this month, Mr Musk spoke to CNBC about constraints on expanding in China. He said it wasn't a demand issue but that there were limitations.

In March, Reuters said that Mr Musk wanted to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang. When he could go depended on when he had free time.

More than half of Tesla's total production in 2022 came from its Shanghai factory.

People think Mr. Musk may talk about Tesla's self-driving technology during his trip to China. Tesla has wanted to bring this technology to China for a while.

People on Twitter talked about the "free speech absolutist" visiting China. They thought he might be asked about the strict censorship rules there.

Foreign companies are worried about recent raids on consulting firms. The relationship between China and Washington is tense.

Musk visited while Tesla battles competition from Chinese car makers. These car makers are shipping electric vehicles from China.

Tesla is getting closer to testing its new Model 3 car in Shanghai. It wants to compete better with other car companies in China. Bloomberg reported this news at the beginning of the month.

Tesla will make a battery farm in Shanghai soon. They did not discuss raising production levels at their factory in Shanghai. These batteries will be called Megapack storage units.

Before his trip, the CEO of SpaceX praised China's space program. He said it's more advanced than people think.