Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made a surprise visit to China, the company's second-largest market, just a week after his trip to India was postponed, as per the media reports.
“Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year,” Musk had posted on X. He was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce plans to enter the Indian market.
Musk is expected to meet senior Chinese officials and "old friends" in Beijing, according to a source familiar with the arrangement, as reported by The South China Morning Post.
He travelled to China at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and met with its president, Ren Hongbin, to discuss further cooperation, according to Chinese state-run broadcaster CTGN.
Tesla has sold over 1.7 million cars in China since entering the market in 2012 and has its largest factory in Shanghai, where Musk has received high-level political support.
This is not Musk's first visit to China. In 2019, he was hosted by former Premier Li Keqiang and allowed to drive Tesla cars into the Zhongnanhai compound, the living and working area of Chinese leaders, according to reports. During his last visit to Beijing in June, he met with senior officials, including the then-Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang.
The trip was warmly received by the Chinese public, with social-media posts focusing on the Chinese food Musk ate, and some referring to him as a “pioneer” and “brother Ma”.
Musk's visit coincides with the Beijing auto show, which opened last week and ends on May 4. Tesla does not have a booth at China's largest auto show and last attended in 2021.
