Tesla CEO Elon Musk landed in China on Sunday, according to official media, marking the tech billionaire’s second trip to the world’s largest market for electric vehicles in under a year.
“At the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Tesla (US) CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing this afternoon.”
According to state media, Musk met with Ren Hongbin, the head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, “to discuss next steps in cooperation and other topics”.
Musk has considerable commercial interests in China, and his most recent visit was in June of last year.
Tesla did not reply to AFP’s prior inquiries for confirmation that Musk was visiting China or to divulge his schedule.
The mercurial entrepreneur is a divisive character in the West, but in China, Tesla’s electric automobiles have become a fixture of middle-class urban life.
Musk’s entrance in China coincides with a pricing war amongst companies seeking to get a foothold in the intensely competitive electric vehicle sector.
It also coincides with Beijing’s huge auto exhibition.
In the fourth quarter of last year, China’s indigenous auto behemoth BYD (“Build Your Dreams”) surpassed Tesla as the world’s top EV seller.
Tesla recaptured the crown in the first quarter of this year, while BYD remains dominant in its home market.
