Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk visited Beijing on Sunday to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and data transfer permissions.
As reported by Chinese state media, Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his visit, and Premier Li praised Tesla’s contributions to U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation.
Musk shared on X, “Honored to meet with Premier Li Qiang. We have known each other since early Shanghai days,” alongside a picture from the encounter.
Tesla, which established its first factory outside the United States in Shanghai in 2018, has not yet released its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China. However, Musk recently hinted on X that FSD might soon be available to Chinese customers.
According to Wedbush analysts, the visit is significant for Tesla, particularly as the company seeks to make FSD available in China. Wedbush noted, “While the long-term valuation story at Tesla hinges on FSD and autonomous, a missing piece in that puzzle is Tesla making FSD available in China, which now appears on the doorstep.”
Tesla has complied with Chinese regulations by storing all data from its Chinese fleet locally since 2021 and has not transferred any data to the United States. Musk’s current efforts focus on gaining approval to transfer some of this data abroad to enhance Tesla’s autonomous driving algorithms.
Musk’s discussions about FSD or data transfer were not disclosed in Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s report. Additionally, Musk met with Ren Hongbin, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
During his visit, Musk commented on the progress of electric vehicles in China, stating, “It is good to see electric vehicles making progress in China. All cars will be electric in the future.”
This trip to China follows a cancelled visit to India due to “very heavy Tesla obligations.” Amidst layoffs affecting 10% of Tesla’s global workforce and a recall investigation by U.S. auto safety regulators, Tesla continues to navigate challenges in the global EV market.
