Elon Musk’s private jet lands in China for billionaire’s first visit in three years

A private jet used by Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after it was confirmed that the Tesla boss would be visiting China this week for the first time in three years.

The SpaceX and Tesla boss is expected to meet senior Chinese officials during his visit and make a trip to Tesla’s Shanghai plant, Reuters reported.

In response to reports of Mr Musk’s visit, China’s foreign ministry said that the country has always welcomed businesspeople from other parts of the world, including Mr Musk, “to visit and promote mutually beneficial cooperation”.

It remains unconfirmed who the billionaire hopes to meet and what he would discuss, but Tesla is known to have submitted applications to expand its production facilities in Shanghai and is still awaiting approval. Musk told CNBC earlier this month that “there are some constraints on our ability to expand in China”, adding: “It’s not a demand issue.”

Reuters reported in March that Mr Musk was seeking to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang, with the exact timing of his visit depending on his availability.

Tesla’s Shanghai plant accounted for over half of the company’s global production in 2022.

Mr Musk might also want to discuss Tesla’s full self-driving technology, which the electric car maker has been seeking to introduce in China for some time.

Commenting on his China visit, some Twitter users wondered if the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” would face questions during his visit about the communist country’s harsh rules around censorship.

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