Chinese state media reported that he met with Premier Li Qiag in Beijing, during which Li told Musk that Tesla’s development in China could be regarded as a successful example of US-China economic and trade cooperation.

“I look forward to meeting with Premier Li Qiag. We have known each other for many years, since the early days of Shanghai,” Musk posted on social media platform X, while appearing in a photo with the premier.

Tesla reached an agreement with Chinese authorities for a platform in Shanghai, its first outside the United States, in 2018.

The US electric vehicle maker launched FSD, the most autonomous version of its Autopilot software, four years ago but has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market globally, despite customer demand.

Musk said this month that Tesla could make FSD available to customers “very soon” in response to an inquiry from X.

Wedgush equity analysts called the surprise visit “an important moment for Tesla.”

“While Tesla’s long-term valuation story points to FSD and autonomous, a key piece in that puzzle is Tesla making FSD available in China, which now appears to be right around the corner,” Wedbush said in an emailed company report.

Rival Chinese automakers such as Xpeпg9868.HK ​​have been trying to gain an edge over Tesla by releasing similar software.

Since 2021, Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai as required by Chinese regulators and has not transferred it to the United States.

Musk is seeking approval to transfer data collected in the country abroad to train algorithms for its self-driving technologies, the person said.

Musk’s visit to China, first reported by Reuters, was not publicly announced and the person spoke out of privacy policy because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chinese state broadcaster   CCTV   in its report on Musk’s meeting with Li did not say whether the two had discussed FSD or data.

Earlier in the day, a separate report on state radio said Li had visited the current Beijing office building and commented on how China’s smart electric vehicle (NEV) sector had gained a leading position in the market and that the country needed to work hard and maintain its advantages.

Musk also met with Rep. Hogbip, a government official who heads the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the organizer of the auto show, state media reported.

“It’s good to see electric vehicles making headway in China. All cars will be electric in the future,” Musk said in a video posted on social media by a user affiliated with state media.

Late on Saturday, a major Chinese automobile association published a list of 76 car models it said it had tested and found to meet China’s safety requirements, including the Model Y and three Tesla cars.

Musk’s trip came just over a week after he canceled a planned visit to India to meet Prime Minister Nairadhi Modi, citing “very heavy obligations at Tesla.”

The company said this month it would lay off 10% of its global workforce as it grapples with falling sales and a looming price war over electric vehicles led by Chinese brands.

U.S. auto safety regulators said Friday they had opened an investigation into whether a recall of more than 2 million Tesla vehicles in the United States, scheduled in December to install new Autopilot safety features, was appropriate following a series of crashes.

Tesla has sold more than 1.7 million cars in China since entering the market a decade ago and its Shanghai factory is the largest in the world.

GM Bar visited

GMG Chief Executive Mary Barra made an unannounced visit to the world’s largest auto show on Friday, according to two people with knowledge of her schedule. GM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also on Friday, Grace Tao, Tesla’s vice president in charge of external relations in China, posted a comment on the social media account of state-run media outlet People’s Daily, arguing that autonomous driving technologies would be the new growth strategy for the electric vehicle industry.

Tao said Tesla was leading the research and development of autonomous driving with its “European ed-to-ed network” technology and Data collected from millions of cars on the road.

China’s challenging traffic conditions, with more pedestrians and cyclists than other markets, offer more scenarios that are key to training autonomous driving algorithms at a faster pace, industry experts say.

Musk said last week that Tesla would introduce new, more affordable models of its current electric vehicle platforms and production models and offer a new “robotaxis” with self-driving technology. He said on August 8 that he would unveil the robotaxi.

Tesla shares have lost nearly a third of their value since the start of the year as investors have grown concerned about the electric vehicle maker’s growth trajectory. Last week, Tesla reported its first quarterly revenue decline since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic slowed production and deliveries.