Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk made his second trip in less than a year to China, the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, to discuss future collaborations in the industry.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Musk, considered one of the wealthiest individuals globally, met with a top trade official during his visit to Beijing’s Diaoyutai state guesthouse.
Having significant business interests in China, Musk’s most recent visit was in June last year. However, Tesla did not confirm Musk’s visit or provide details of his itinerary for the trip in response to inquiries from AFP.
CCTV reported that Musk was invited by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, stating that he arrived in Beijing for the meeting. Musk engaged in discussions with Ren Hongbin, the head of the trade council, focusing on future cooperation and other relevant topics.
Notably, while Musk has generated controversy in the West, Tesla’s electric vehicles have gained popularity among China’s middle-class urban population. Musk, who once criticized Chinese EVs, recently acknowledged their significant progress, referring to Chinese car companies as some of the most competitive globally. He highlighted his belief that all cars would eventually be electric.
Despite positive sentiments, Tesla faced challenges in China earlier this year when it was required to recall over 1.6 million electric vehicles due to steering software issues. Musk’s visit coincided with intense competition among companies striving to excel in the cutthroat EV market, where local giant BYD emerged as the top EV seller globally in the fourth quarter of last year, surpassing Tesla.
Although Tesla regained its top spot in the first quarter of this year, BYD continues to lead in the Chinese market. Musk’s trip aligned with the ongoing an auto show in Beijing, where speculations circulated on social media suggesting that the entrepreneur might make an appearance.
