Tesla CEO Elon Musk makes surprise visit to China
Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited China over the weekend and met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Musk said Sunday on X that he was "honored" to meet with Li, adding, "We have known each other now for many years, since early Shanghai days."
Musk had not previously announced plans to go to China or meet with Li.
Elon Musk speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Nov. 29, 2023, in New York City. (Slaven Vlasic/for The New York Times / Getty Images)
Li reportedly expressed a desire for more trade cooperation with the U.S. during his meeting with the Tesla CEO, according to Chinese outlet Xinhua.
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Tesla learned on Sunday from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers that its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles met data security standards required in the country. The company produced over 1.77 million Model 3 and Y vehicles over the course of 2023.
A Tesla corporate logo on the front of their store in Santa Monica on April 10, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Gary Hershorn / Getty Images)
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Tesla had received indications China was giving the go-ahead for the EV maker’s Full Self Driving software. It currently does not offer FSD there.
FSD gives "access to a suite of more advanced driver assistance features" than Autopilot "designed to provide more active guidance and assisted driving under your active supervision," per Tesla’s website.
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The outlet also reported the EV maker was working with Baidu on maps and navigation in China.
FOX Business reached out to Tesla for comment on the Journal’s report.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the Tesla China-Made Model 3 delivery ceremony at the company's Gigafactory in Shanghai on Jan. 7, 2020. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)
The electric vehicle maker has said the future "is not only electric, but also autonomous." Its FSD software is a major part of its autonomous vehicle efforts.
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Musk has been to China in the past. He went for three days in 2023, speaking with the country’s foreign minister and going to Gigafactory Shanghai, as FOX Business reported at the time.
He more recently interacted with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a reception held in San Francisco in November.
China remains a large market for Tesla despite facing competition from many local automakers.