BEIJING (AP) — Tesla founder and managing director Elon Musk met with a top government leader in the Chinese capital on Sunday, just as the country’s automakers are showing off theirs latest electric car models at the Beijing Motor Show.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang told Musk that he hopes the United States will work more with China on “win-win” cooperation, citing Tesla’s operations in China as a successful example of economic cooperation, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said in its main evening news programme.
For China, Musk is a welcome antidote to the recent tough talk from US officials during a visit by Foreign Minister Antony Blinken. Li’s remarks also reflect China’s efforts to attract foreign investment to boost the country’s slowing economy.
It was not clear if Musk would visit the auto show, which runs through this week. Chinese automakers and startups have launched a slew of electric cars in recent years, some going head-to-head with Tesla and undercuts the American manufacturer on the price.
An earlier CCTV online report said Musk had come at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and met with its president, Ren Hongbin, to exchange views on further cooperation and other issues.
Tesla has a large production base in Shanghai for both domestic sales in China and exports to Europe and other regions. It cut prices in China a week ago, dropping the Model 3 to 231,900 yuan ($32,700) and the Model Y to 249,900 yuan ($35,200), after similar reductions in USA
The European Union has launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies to the electric car industry that could lead to tariffs on electric vehicles made in China, potentially including Tesla cars.
The green energy subsidies have helped transform China’s auto market, where electric vehicles made up about a quarter of new car sales last year and ate into demand for gasoline-powered vehicles.
Foreign car manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Nissan is struggling to develop new EV models to hold or retain market share in China, the world’s largest car market.
