Tesla chief Elon Musk full of praise for Chinese 'energy and vigour' after meeting Vice-President Wang Qishan in Beijing
President’s right-hand man invites entrepreneur to the country’s political heart as more American tariffs loom
China rolled out the red carpet for US business again on Thursday, with a meeting between Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan and Tesla chief Elon Musk under the shadow of more American tariffs.
The meeting was the second between top Chinese leaders and representatives of foreign companies in less than a month.
Musk said he and Wang discussed “history, philosophy and luck” at Zhongnanhai, the former imperial garden in Beijing that is now the headquarters of the Communist Party and Chinese government.
“Excellent meetings with senior leaders in China. Very thoughtful about the long-term future,” Musk wrote on Twitter.
The talks wrapped up Musk’s three-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai, where Tesla is setting up its first overseas assembly plant able to make half a million electric cars a year. The factory will be a beachhead in the world’s biggest car market and the largest overseas manufacturing investment in Shanghai.