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Tesla CEO Elon Musk to meet Shanghai Communist Party boss Chen Jining amid talks of Gigafactory 3 expansion, sources say
- Musk will fly in by private jet on Wednesday evening as part of a high-profile China visit that comes amid fraught US-China relations
- The meeting reflects an attempt by Shanghai to attract more foreign investment after China reopened its international borders early this year
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Daniel Renin Shanghai
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk is expected to meet Shanghai Communist Party secretary Chen Jining on either Thursday or Friday amid heightened speculation about an expansion of the electric-car maker’s production facilities in the mainland’s commercial capital.
Musk will fly in by private jet from Beijing on Wednesday evening as part of a high-profile China visit that comes as already fraught relations between Beijing and Washington sour further, according to three people with knowledge of his itinerary.
The meeting between the world’s second-richest man and Shanghai’s most senior official reflects an attempt by the city to draw more foreign investment after China reopened its international borders early this year.
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A senior government official in Shanghai, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Post that the city is determined to further open up the local market and welcome top international brands even amid growing calls by some politicians in the West to reduce their countries’ reliance on China.
“A handshake between Musk and Chen will be more than a symbolic move,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “Industry employees in China’s automotive sector are expecting Tesla to increase its investment in China, which will represent a renewed endorsement of the country’s electric vehicle (EV) market by the world’s most successful entrepreneur.”
The Shanghai government did not respond to queries from the Post on Wednesday, while Tesla would not comment on the issue.
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