U.S. billionaire Elon Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday in Beijing, with the SpaceX and Tesla founder aiming to bring Tesla's self-driving technology to vehicles in the world's largest automotive market.
"Honored to meet with Premier Li Qiang," Musk said in a statement on X, the social media platform he owns. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman welcomed Musk's visit, stating, "Tesla's success in China is a stellar example of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation." Musk's latest visit coincides with the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, which began on Thursday and concluded on Saturday.
In his statement, Elon Musk mentioned that he had known Premier Li Qiang "for many years," suggesting a close relationship and aligning with earlier reports that Musk would be meeting with senior Chinese officials at the State Council and "old friends" in Beijing.
The Texas-based Tesla has recently faced increased competition from Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and has reduced the prices of its Shanghai-made vehicles by up to 6% to maintain its leadership in China's high-end EV market, according to the South China Morning News. Chinese drivers are increasingly adopting driver-assistance systems and higher levels of autonomous driving features in mass-produced cars. Musk indicated that Tesla's autopilot and supervised full self-driving options could soon be available to Chinese customers.
During the meeting, Li Qiang described Tesla's development in China as a successful example of positive U.S.-China bilateral relations. Elon Musk responded by saying that Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory is the company's top performer, indicating his interest in deepening cooperation with China.
