Chinese state media reported that Elon Musk recently met with Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing, where Li praised Tesla’s development in China as a successful example of American-Chinese economic and trade cooperation. According to the report, Musk expressed his honor to meet Premier Li Qiang, whom he has known for many years since the early days of Shanghai.
Tesla agreed with Chinese authorities to open a factory in Shanghai in 2018, marking its first factory outside the US. Since then, Tesla has sold over 1.7 million cars in China and is now the largest car manufacturer in the world. However, despite launching its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software four years ago, Tesla has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market.
Recently, Musk announced on social media platform X that Tesla could soon release FSD to customers in China and is seeking permission to transfer the data collected there abroad for its autonomous driving technology algorithms. Despite complying with Chinese regulations by storing all data collected by its Chinese team in Shanghai without transferring it to the US, Tesla’s delay in releasing FSD has raised concerns about its commitment to expanding its presence and technology in the Chinese market.
Despite these challenges, Musk expressed optimism about the increasing presence of electric vehicles in China and stated that he believes that all cars will be electric in the future. He emphasized Tesla’s commitment to expanding its presence and technology in the Chinese market through his visit and discussions with Chinese officials.
