Elon Musk, on Tuesday, arrived in Beijing on an unannounced visit. This is his first trip to China in more than three years. He is expected to visit Tesla’s Shanghai plant during his trip.
Musk met Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing after he landed, said the ministry.
Qin told Musk China was “committed to creating a better market-oriented, rule-of-law-based and internationalised business environment” for foreign enterprises, his ministry said on its website.
Musk in response said, “Tesla opposes ‘decoupling and breaking chains’, and is willing to continue to expand its business in China”, according to the ministry’s readout.
According to Beijing, on Tuesday, Qin and Musk discussed relations between China and the United States, with the Chinese foreign minister saying the two countries should “apply the brakes in a timely manner to avoid dangerous driving”.
Musk’s private jet lands in Beijing
As per a Reuters news agency witness, a private jet, which is used by Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk, landed in Beijing on Tuesday.
According to a flight aggregation website ADS-B Exchange, Musk’s private jet, a 2015 Gulfstream G650ER, was seen leaving Alaska before crossing over Japan and South Korea on Tuesday morning.
The jet with its identifying tail number could be seen at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday, according to the Reuters witness.
After the United States, China is Tesla’s second-largest market. The electric car company’s Shanghai plant is its largest production hub.
Musk’s visit to China would be the first after he took the internet by storm with his bizarre dance moves during a 2020 event at Tesla’s plant in Shanghai.
This would also mark his first visit to the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.
This also comes after Tesla is facing challenges including intense competition from Chinese automaker companies that are exporting their vehicles as demand in the world’s largest auto market weakens.
Earlier this month, Musk in a conversation with CNBC had said, “There are some constraints on our ability to expand in China.” He added: “It’s not a demand issue.”
In the same interview, Musk said tensions between the United States and China “should be a concern for everyone.”
Tesla’s road to India and a Chinese stumble
Tesla has not yet entered India, the world’s fifth-largest economy.
While Elon Musk has criticised what he said were India’s high import taxes, India is averse to the idea of letting Tesla sell electric vehicles made in China.
In April 2022, speaking at Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India’s road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said that Tesla’s proposition of “manufacturing in China and selling in India” cannot be an acceptable one.
He said, “If Elon Musk is ready to manufacture in India, we have all the competencies and technology. Our request to him is to manufacture in India. India is a huge market, we have ports here. He could make in India and export all over.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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