Chinese state media reported that Elon Musk met with Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing, where Li praised Tesla’s development in China as a successful example of American-Chinese economic and trade cooperation. Musk confirmed the meeting with a post on the X platform, expressing his honor to meet Premier Li Qiang, whom he has known for many years since the early days of Shanghai.
Tesla launched its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software four years ago, but it has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market. Despite this, Musk announced on social media platform X that Tesla could soon release FSD to customers in China and is seeking permission to transfer the data collected there abroad for its autonomous driving technology algorithms. Tesla has complied with Chinese regulations by storing all data collected by its Chinese team in Shanghai without transferring it to the US.
Musk expressed optimism about the increasing presence of electric vehicles in China, stating that in the future, all cars will be electric. Tesla has sold over 1.7 million cars in China since entering the market a decade ago, with its factory in Shanghai being the largest in the world. Musk’s visit and discussions with Chinese officials reflect Tesla’s commitment to expanding its presence and technology in the Chinese market.