On May 30, American businessman Elon Musk visited China for the first time in three years. He holds meetings with senior officials and representatives of major companies, discussing Tesla’s development prospects in the country. Russian media – on the course of his visit.
Arrived in Beijing, Elon Musk has already managed to meet three ministers – foreign affairs, industry and trade. He also had dinner with Zeng Yuqun, founder of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). He must also meet other leaders, writing Reuters Agency.
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) is China’s largest manufacturer of fuel cells, lithium-ion, lithium-iron phosphate and lithium-polymer batteries, according to information posted on the official website. to place companies. These devices are used in the production of electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Founded in 2011 company in 2022 became the largest manufacturer of lithium batteries in the world, controlling almost 50% of the market in this sector.
Musk arrived in China as CEO of Tesla. Discussion of the outlook for automotive production in the country is the main agenda of Musk’s trip, stems from statements from Chinese departments.
“The parties exchanged views on the development of vehicles powered by new energy sources and smart cars with network connectivity,” the statement said. statement Ministry of Industry and Informatization of the People’s Republic of China, published after a meeting between Musk and the head of this department, Jin Zhuanglong. The meeting with the head of the ministry responsible for automobile industry policy took place on 31 May.
On the same day, the businessman held a meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. “The parties discussed in detail a wide range of issues related to China-US trade and economic cooperation and Tesla’s development in China,” the statement said. posts published on the website of the Chinese department.
The day before, May 30, Musk met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The head of the department stressed China’s willingness to “resolutely promote high-level opening up to create a market-oriented international business environment for companies around the world, including Tesla,” stems from posts published on the ministry’s website. Musk spoke out against “decoupling and decoupling” and expressed his desire to continue to grow his business in China. “The interests of the United States and China are linked like Siamese twins, they are inseparable from each other,” the report said.
Tesla opened a factory in Shanghai in 2019. In 2022, production was upgraded and is now capable of producing 1 million Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles per year. The company also plans to build another assembly plant in Shanghai. Musk’s visit to China comes as Tesla faces increased competition from Chinese-made electric vehicles and some uncertainty over plans to expand its Shanghai factory, according to Reuters. As part of the trip, the entrepreneur will visit the Tesla factory in Shanghai, according to Reuters sources.
Asked by reporters about Joe Biden’s views on Musk’s dealings with China, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on May 30 declared that “she has nothing to add” to what the US president said in November 2022. “It’s worth a look,” Biden then commented on Musk’s relationship with Beijing.
How has Musk’s trip to China reacted?
Musk’s unannounced trip to China isn’t the only visit by a U.S. trade representative since anti-COVID restrictions were lifted in the country last winter. Beyond Musk, in March China visited Apple CEO Tim Cook. JPMorgan and Starbucks CEOs Jamie Dimon and Laxman Narasimhan will visit the country this week, Reuters reports.
According to the newspaper, Musk’s trip has become a hotly debated topic in Chinese society, while other representatives of the American business community have been met more modestly in the country. “His popularity is growing despite growing tensions between the United States and China,” according to Reuters.
That Musk’s visit was carefully prepared by the Chinese side, according to the publication, is indicated by a list of 16 dishes prepared for the businessman’s dinner with CATL chef Zeng Yuqun. The menu, which was posted on Chinese social network Weibo, shows two rearing horses, a play on the Chinese character 马 (ma, “horse”) used to translate Musk’s surname into Chinese. Tesla is described on the menu as a dark horse that “stands apart from traditional automakers”, writes Reuters.
Musk’s visit is widely covered on the Chinese internet. Tesla Cost Rising News took the second most popular search engine in Chinese Baidu, noted Russian media on May 31.
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