According to three unnamed persons with knowledge of the situation, Elon Musk is slated to meet with senior officials in China this week.
Musk’s trip to the country would be his first in three years.
According to insiders, he will meet with key Chinese authorities and tour Tesla’s Shanghai plant.
The sources declined to comment and demanded anonymity, so it is unclear who the Tesla CEO will meet with and what they will talk about.
Requests for comment from Tesla and China’s State Council Information Office were not immediately returned.
Musk’s private jet touches down in Beijing
A private jet operated by Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk has landed in Beijing, according to a Reuters news agency witness.
Musk’s private plane, a 2015 Gulfstream G650ER, was photographed leaving Alaska before traveling over Japan and South Korea on Tuesday morning, according to flight aggregation website ADS-B Exchange.
According to Reuters, the jet with the identifying tail number was spotted at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday.
China is Tesla’s second-biggest market after the United States, and its Shanghai facility is the company’s major production hub.
His trip to China would be his first since he wowed the world with his strange dance moves at a 2020 event at Tesla’s Shanghai facility.
This would be his first trip to the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes as Tesla faces problems such as severe competition from Chinese automakers exporting their automobiles as demand in the world’s largest auto market decreases.
Musk stated earlier this month in an interview with CNBC, “There are some constraints on our ability to expand in China.” He went on to say, “It’s not a demand issue.”
During the same interview, Musk stated that tensions between the US and China “should be a concern for everyone.”
Tesla’s Journey to India and a Chinese Blunder
Tesla is yet to penetrate the fifth-largest economy in the world.
While Elon Musk has criticized India’s high import levies, India is opposed to allowing Tesla to sell Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Nitin Gadkari, India’s road transport minister, stated during the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi in April 2022 that Tesla’s plan of “manufacturing in China and selling in India” cannot be accepted.
He said, “If Elon Musk is ready to manufacture in India, we have all the competencies and technology. Our request to him is to manufacture in India. India is a huge market, we have ports here. He could make in India and export all over.”