Today, he held talks on next-generation vehicles with China’s Minister of Industry. Elon Musk during his visit to Chinawhere, according to the head of the American manufacturer of electric vehicles Tesla, he wants to continue to develop his activities.

The billionaire, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, is making his first visit to China in more than three years, which is a country of strategic importance to Tesla as it is the world’s largest market for electric vehicles.

Apotheosis Mask on Chinese social media

Musk, who arranged meetings with three Chinese government ministers, has been hailed by Chinese social media as a “discoverer” and “global icon” while some would like him to become US President.

Arriving in Beijing yesterday, Musk met with ministers of foreign affairs, trade and industry and had lunch with Zheng Yukun, chairman of leading battery supplier CATL. Tesla and CATL did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. So does the Department of Commerce.

“He is a global icon,” commented one user. “Elon Musk is just great, I wish there was someone like Elon Musk in China,” commented another.

Today he met with Industry Minister Jin Zhuanglong.

The two men “exchanged views on the development of new energy vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles,” the Chinese ministry said in a statement.

No other details of the talks have been released, and Tesla representatives have yet to respond to AFP requests for comment.

According to Chinese diplomacy, at yesterday’s meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gan, Elon Musk expressed to him the desire of his group to “continue to develop its activities in China.”

According to Chinese media reports, Tesla hosted a dinner yesterday to greet its boss. The menu featured 16 different dishes, including seafood, New Zealand lamb and traditional Beijing soy noodles.

Chinese brands are gaining momentum

According to the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CPCA), sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in China will double by 2022 to more than a quarter of vehicles sold, an unprecedented level.

Government support for electric vehicles, combined with growing consumer interest, has allowed Chinese companies to dominate the domestic market, the largest automotive market in the world.

Although Tesla remains the world’s top seller of electric vehicles, the popularity of Chinese brands has increased in recent years.

Chinese manufacturer BYD, one of the most important companies in the electric vehicle industry in its country, has increased its net profit by five times in 2022.

However, Tesla’s profit fell significantly in the first quarter, despite strong sales growth due to lower prices.

In April, the American company announced that it would build a second battery “megafactory” in Shanghai.

It will have an initial capacity of 10,000 Megapack batteries per year, with production starting “in the second quarter of 2024”, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.

The plant will be Tesla’s second in Shanghai after opening a major assembly plant in 2019.

“Siamese” interests of Beijing – Washington

During a meeting with Qin Gang yesterday, Musk said he opposes any economic “decoupling” between China and the US, according to Chinese diplomacy.

“The interests of the US and China are closely linked, as are the Siamese,” he said, according to the same source.

Musk, who also heads the social networking site Twitter, strong financial ties with China have sparked interest in Washington, and President Joe Biden said in November that his ties to foreign countries “should be considered.”

Musk also sparked controversy by saying that Taiwan, which China considers a province, should be part of Chinese territory.

Visits from international officials are welcomed to promote “better understanding of China” and “win-win cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said yesterday.

According to sources, Musk will also meet with other senior Chinese officials and visit a factory in Shanghai at the end of the week, although it is not yet clear who exactly he will meet and what he will discuss during this first meeting. a trip to China three years ago that was not announced in advance.

^{Source: APE, AFP, Reuters.}