Premier Li Qiang meets Elon Musk in Beijing, raising hopes of Tesla’s autonomous driving push
- Tesla’s autopilot and supervised full self-driving (FSD) options could soon be provided to its Chinese customers, Musk said in recent social media post
- Musk’s latest visit also coincides with the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, which kicked off on Thursday and runs through Saturday
Premier Li Qiang met US billionaire Elon Musk in Beijing on Sunday, calling Tesla’s development in China “an example of success” in US-China cooperation, China’s state television reported.
The meeting confirmed an earlier report by the Post that Musk was expected to meet senior Chinese officials at the State Council and “old friends” in Beijing.
In addition to meeting Musk, the premier toured the auto show in Beijing and talked with Tesla’s local rivals, including Xiaomi, a newcomer in China’s EV market, BYD, which is jostling with Tesla for the world’s top EV spot, and Geely, another major Chinese carmaker, according to the state television report.
The SpaceX and Tesla chief travelled to China at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, meeting with CCPIT president Ren Hongbin to discuss further cooperation with the country, according to Chinese state-run broadcaster CGTN.
The Austin, Texas-based Tesla has faced fierce competition from Chinese EV makers in the past few years. It has cut the prices of its Shanghai-made vehicles by up to 6 per cent to maintain its leading position in China’s premium EV segment.
