Lhe boss of the car manufacturer Tesla, Elon Musk, one of the richest people in the world, arrived in China on Sunday, official television announced.
“At the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing this afternoon,” CCTV said. This visit had not been announced in advance.
According to state media, Mr. Musk met with Ren Hongbin, the head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, “to discuss next steps in terms of cooperation and other issues.”
China presents many business interests for Elon Musk. His last visit was in June 2023.
Tesla, the company specializing in electric vehicles (EV) of which he is the boss, did not confirm to AFP the billionaire’s visit or the route he would follow in China.
Elon Musk is a controversial figure in the Western world, especially since he bought the social network X, formerly Twitter. On the other hand, he is admired in China, where his Tesla cars are appreciated by the urban middle classes.
His visit comes as a price war rages between companies in the ultra-competitive electric vehicle sector, in which China is well positioned.
It also occurs during the gigantic Beijing auto show.
During the last quarter of 2023, the Chinese automobile giant BYD (“Build Your Dreams”) overtook Tesla to become the leading EV seller in the world.
Title that Tesla recovered in 1Q 2024, without preventing BYD from remaining at the top in the Chinese market.
