Elon Musk
Elon Musk, Tesla’s founder and CEO, met with a key government leader in the Chinese capital on Sunday as the country’s automakers unveiled their latest electric vehicle models at the Beijing auto show.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang told Musk that he hoped the United States would work more with China on “win-win” cooperation, citing Tesla’s activities in China as a successful example of economic cooperation, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV’s main nightly news programme.
Musk is a nice counterbalance to the tough talk from the US authorities, culminating in a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Li’s words also reflect China’s efforts to attract foreign investment to bolster its struggling economy.
It was unclear whether Musk would attend the auto show, which runs through this week. Chinese manufacturers and start-ups have launched a number of electric vehicles in recent years, with some competing with Tesla and undercutting the American manufacturer on price.
According to an earlier CCTV web article, Musk came at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and met with its president, Ren Hongbin, to discuss future cooperation and other issues.
Tesla has a large production facility in Shanghai that serves both domestic sales in China and exports to Europe and other places. It cut prices in China a week ago, bringing the Model 3 down to 231,900 yuan ($32,700) and the Model Y to 249,900 yuan ($35,200).
The European Union has launched an investigation into Chinese EV subsidies, which could lead to tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, including Tesla cars.
The green energy subsidies have helped transform China’s auto sector, with EVs accounting for nearly a quarter of new car sales last year, reducing demand for gasoline-powered vehicles.
Foreign automakers, including Volkswagen and Nissan, are rushing to build new EVs to maintain or regain market share in China, the world’s biggest car market.
