Tesla CEO Elon Musk has landed in Beijing, China this morning on his first go to to the nation in three years (since earlier than the pandemic). The billionaire has met the nation’s Overseas Minister Qin Gang within the Chinese language capital, amongst different senior officers and CATL founder Zeng Yuqun.

In addition to assembly Chinese language senior officers and enterprise leaders, Musk plans to go to Tesla‘s Shanghai manufacturing unit, Bloomberg reported citing individuals conversant in the matter. 

In the course of the assembly with Elon Musk, China’s Overseas Minister Qin Gang mentioned China will create a greater market-oriented enterprise setting for enterprises from all international locations, together with Tesla.

The minister added that China will proceed to unswervingly promote high-level opening-up and attempt to create a greater worldwide enterprise setting, in line with a press release from the Chinese language international ministry.

“China welcomes Mr. Musk and different leaders from the enterprise neighborhood to have a greater understanding of China and promote mutually helpful cooperation,” Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning mentioned on Tuesday in Beijing.

“We want to see international buyers working in China, exploring the Chinese language market and sharing within the dividends of the event of China,” she added.

Musk reportedly mentioned the pursuits of China and the US are intertwined, in line with a authorities assertion, which additionally cited him saying that Tesla opposes decoupling from China and is keen to maintain increasing within the nation.

Based on Bloomberg, Elon Musk additionally seeks to satisfy China’s Premier Li Qiang to debate automated-driving know-how that Tesla is in search of to introduce in China. A gathering between Musk and with China’s No. 2 hasn’t been confirmed but.

The Tesla CEO’s go to to China comes as Tesla is reportedly nearing the ultimate levels earlier than beginning trial manufacturing of its revamped Mannequin 3 in Shanghai in a bid to compete extra successfully with Chinese language rivals.

Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai accounted for greater than half of the corporate’s international manufacturing in 2022, and may now construct as many as 1.1 million automobiles a 12 months. The US EV maker contributed nearly one-quarter of Shanghai’s whole automotive manufacturing worth final 12 months.

Native authorities in Shanghai have pledged earlier this month to proceed to develop ties with Tesla by means of autonomous driving and robotic modules.

Musk’s go to to China comes at a time when relations between China and the US are on the lowest second since 1972, when former President Richard Nixon’s go to to Beijing helped re-establish diplomatic ties between the 2 nations.