Tesla CEO Elon Musk has touched down in Beijing, marking his first visit to China in three years, amidst intensifying competition in the electric vehicle market and speculation over Tesla’s expansion plans in the country.
CNBC reports that Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has landed in Beijing. Musk’s first trip to China in three years comes amid increased competition in the market for electric vehicles and rumors about Tesla’s future ambitions in the nation.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 7, 2020 — Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses with Tesla China-made Model 3 vehicle owners during a ceremony in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 7, 2020.
U.S. electric carmaker Tesla officially launched its China-made Model Y program in its Shanghai gigafactory Tuesday, one year after the company broke ground on its first overseas plant. The first batch of China-produced Model 3 sedans was also delivered to its non-employee customers at an opening ceremony for the program. (Photo by Ding Ting/Xinhua via Getty)
According to sources, Musk is scheduled to meet with top Chinese authorities and visit the Tesla factory in Shanghai. His agenda’s specifics, however, are still unknown. It is also unclear who Musk will meet within China’s government and what issues they will discuss.
Musk’s visit has been welcomed by China’s foreign ministry, which also stated that the country welcomes Musk and other businessmen who seek to advance “mutually beneficial cooperation.” This highlights the significance of Tesla’s position in China, the country’s second-largest market after the United States.
The company’s expansion goals are focused on the Shanghai plant, which serves as its primary production facility in Asia. The progress of the company’s intentions to raise production at the plant by 450,000 vehicles per year has the attention of many Tesla observers. Tesla stated in April that it would construct a neighboring factory to manufacture Megapack energy storage products.
Musk tweeted about Chinese space program advancements while en route to China, saying, “The Chinese space program is far more advanced than most people realize.” This statement is made at a time when Chinese academics are closely following Musk’s SpaceX and the military uses of its Starlink satellite network.
Breitbart News has reported extensively on Elon Musk’s close ties to China, his belief that “China Rocks” and America is fueled by “complacency and entitlement,” and his previous praise of the communist country.
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan