BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has been met with high praise during his visit to China this week, with social media users lauding him as “a pioneer,” “Brother Ma,” and “a global idol.” Musk, the CEO of companies such as Tesla, Twitter, and SpaceX, met in person with three Chinese government ministers during his trip.
Upon arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, Musk held meetings with China’s foreign, commerce, and industry ministers. He also dined with Zeng Yuqun, chairman of leading battery supplier CATL. Although specifics of these conversations remain undisclosed, the industry ministry reported that Musk and its head exchanged views on electric vehicle and connected car development. Similarly, the commerce ministry revealed that discussions with its head focused on Tesla’s growth in China.
Despite the lack of detailed information about Musk’s meetings, Chinese social media has been abuzz with admiration for the entrepreneur. One user commented, “He’s a global idol,” while another said, “Elon Musk is just great, if only China could have someone like Elon Musk.”
On Wednesday evening, Musk’s private jet left Beijing for Shanghai, home to Tesla’s factory, according to flight data provider Variflight. Two sources familiar with the matter said Musk was expected to visit the plant and meet with staff. Tesla has yet to comment on the matter.
Musk’s unannounced visit to China follows a string of trips by other major U.S. CEOs, such as Apple’s Tim Cook in March, and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and Starbucks’ Laxman Narasimhan earlier this week. Despite escalating U.S.-China tensions, Musk’s visit has garnered significant attention, with his remarks on artificial intelligence and electric vehicles sparking particular interest.
Photos on social media even revealed an effusive 16-course menu from the upscale Man Fu Yan restaurant where Musk dined with CATL’s Zeng on Tuesday. The menu, featuring two rearing horses as a nod to Musk’s Chinese name, described Tesla as a dark horse “standing out from traditional automotive companies.”
In contrast to the enthusiastic response on Chinese social media and his active Twitter presence in the U.S., Musk has remained publicly silent during his visit. Notably, Twitter is blocked in China.
Tesla, CATL, and the commerce ministry have not responded to requests for comment, while the foreign ministry quoted Musk as describing the U.S. and Chinese economies as “conjoined twins” and expressing opposition to their decoupling.
Musk’s first trip to China in three years comes as Tesla faces growing competition from Chinese-made electric vehicles and potential uncertainty surrounding expansion plans for the Shanghai plant. Last year, the factory produced over 700,000 Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, accounting for more than half of Tesla’s global output.
It remains unclear whether Tesla faces any regulatory obstacles in expanding the plant. Investors are also eager to learn whether Chinese regulators will approve the release of Tesla’s advanced driver assistance features, currently available in the U.S. as part of the company’s $15,000 “Full Self Driving” software package.
