Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, made a surprise visit to Beijing where he is expected to meet with senior officials to discuss the launch of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China and the transfer of data overseas, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Reports from Chinese state media confirmed Musk’s meeting with Premier Li Qiang, who praised Tesla’s presence in China as a successful example of US-China economic cooperation.
Although Tesla introduced FSD four years ago, it has yet to offer it in China, its second-largest market globally. Musk recently indicated that FSD might be available in China “very soon” after customer demand.
Competing Chinese automakers like Xpeng are developing similar autonomous driving technology, prompting Musk to seek approval to transfer collected data out of China for algorithm training.
This visit was not publicly announced, and details were shared anonymously due to media restrictions. Tesla has not commented immediately on this matter.
Musk’s visit coincides with the Beijing auto show, where GM’s CEO Mary Barra also made an unannounced appearance last week. Tesla, however, does not have a booth at this year’s show.
In the context of declining Tesla shares and concerns over growth, Musk recently announced plans for new, more affordable EV models and a self-driving “robotaxi” to be unveiled in August.
