[1/3] Tesla CEO Elon Musk stands next to Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao before leaving the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. Portal/Tingshu Wang
BEIJING, May 31 (Portal) – He is “a pioneer”, “Brother Ma” and some want him to become US President. Billionaire Elon Musk was showered with praise from the Chinese public during his trip to China and also secured audiences with three government ministers.
Since landing in Beijing on Tuesday, the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has met with China’s foreign, trade and industry ministers and had dinner with Zeng Yuqun, chairman of leading battery supplier CATL (300750.SZ).
Although little is known about these discussions — the Industry Ministry has merely stated that Musk and his boss Jin Zhuanglong exchanged views on the development of electric vehicles and connected cars — it hasn’t stopped the enthusiasm for Musk on Chinese social media.
“He’s a global idol,” commented one user. “Elon Musk is just awesome, if only China could have someone like Elon Musk,” said another.
Musk’s unannounced trip to China is the latest by a major US CEO since the country abandoned its zero-COVID policy and reopened its borders. Apple’s Tim Cook (AAPL.O) visited in March, while JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon (JPM.N) and Starbucks’ Laxman Narasimhan (SBUX.O) are also in China this week.
But compared to the reserved welcome from his counterparts, Musk’s visit is a hot trending topic and his popularity comes despite rising US-China tensions, with keen interest expressed in his comments on artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.
Even the menu for the 16-course meal at Man Fu Yan fine dining restaurant, which he shared with CATL’s Zeng on Tuesday night, was lavish, according to photos posted to social media.
Illustrated with two rearing horses — a nod to the horse character used in Musk’s Chinese name — the menu described Tesla as a dark horse “that stands out from traditional automotive companies.”
Contrary to the social media storm in China and his propensity to cause a stir at home on Twitter (which he now owns), Musk has yet to make any public statements during his trip. Twitter is blocked in China.
Tesla and CATL did not respond to requests for comment. The Commerce Department also did not respond to a request for comment. The State Department quoted the billionaire as saying he had called the US and China economies “Siamese twins” and said he opposed their decoupling.
Musk’s first visit to China in three years comes as Tesla faces increasing competition from Chinese-made electric vehicles and some uncertainty about expansion plans for its Shanghai plant.
The plant produced over 700,000 Model Y and Model 3 vehicles last year, more than half of the company’s global production.
It wasn’t clear whether Tesla faces regulatory hurdles in expanding the plant.
Investors are also curious to see if Chinese regulators will approve the release of Tesla’s advanced driver assistance features. The features are available in the US as part of the “Full Self Driving” software, which retails for $15,000 per vehicle.
Musk is expected to meet other senior Chinese officials and visit the Shanghai plant later in the week, sources said. However, it was not clear who exactly he would meet or what topics they would discuss.
Reporting by Martin Pollard; Additional reporting by Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu and Joe Cash in Beijing and Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Shanghai Newsroom; writing by Brenda Goh; Edited by Edwina Gibbs
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Martin Pollard