Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set to visit China amid growing chill between Beijing and Washington.
Elon Musk There are reportedly plans to visit China in April to meet the country’s premier Li Keqiang. However, inside sources pointed out that the timing of Musk’s visit depends on Li Qiang’s availability.
Elon Musk’s visit to China will be the first Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO will be visiting East Asian countries since Covid. Musk last visited China when President Xi Jinping was serving his second term as leader of the world’s second-largest economy. Xi Jinping secured a third five-year term as China’s president earlier this month.
Musk’s planned China visit comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington. Tesla’s CEO is in the middle of this diplomatic struggle as China houses the EV maker’s largest manufacturing facility. The major East Asian country is also Tesla’s biggest market outside the United States.
The exact purpose of Musk’s visit to China is unknown
By meeting with Li, a senior government official and close aide to President Xi Jinping, Musk is seeking to re-evaluate personal interests. Beijing recently ramped up efforts to revive foreign investment in China after more than two years of Covid-triggered restrictions.
The reports did not officially state the purpose of Musk’s visit to China or the intention to hold discussions with Li. However, speculations suggest that Musk and Li’s meeting could address potential foreign investment benefits between the two sides.
Musk and Li met before the opening of Tesla’s Shanghai plant in 2019, when Li was party secretary of Shanghai City. Then, Lee was instrumental in the construction and opening of the city’s manufacturing plant, which is now Tesla’s production center.
In 2020, Musk and Li met again, albeit virtually, when they participated in an online forum. At that time, the Tesla boss expressed his gratitude to the then Shanghai party secretary for supporting the factory’s operation during the epidemic.
Recent Timeline of Musk-China Relations
Although Musk appears to have cordial relations with the Chinese government, the business mogul found himself in hot water last month. In February, Chinese state media reacted angrily to a musket statement suggesting that Covid emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan. On February 26, the tycoon commented on a do Citing the US-State Department’s conclusion that Covid originated in the Wuhan lab.
The state-controlled Global Times warned the outspoken billionaire against biting the hand that feeds him. In addition to referencing the importance of China to Tesla, the English-language Chinese newspaper accused Musk of denigrating China.
While Musk has not publicly responded to the controversy, a former Trump adviser recently attacked him over his alleged Chinese ties. Earlier this month, Steve Bannon claimed the Tesla chief was “owned by the Chinese Communist Party”. Bannon also described Musk as a “total and complete hypocrite” for refusing to uncensor CCP critics on Twitter. Musk in response to Bannon’s allegations Tweeted,
“I used to think Bannon was smart and evil, but now I realize I was wrong about the first part.”
Last week, Musk’s mother Maye Musk visited China for the first time. much enthusiasm on Chinese social media.
Tolu is a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast based in Lagos. He likes to strip crypto stories down to the basics so that anyone anywhere can understand without a lot of background knowledge. When he is not delving deep into crypto stories, Tolu enjoys music, loves to sing and is an avid movie lover.
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