Billionaire Elon Musk has been showered with flattery and feasts during his trip to China, the electric carmaker’s biggest market, while securing audiences with three government ministers. But some of his public comments have stoked anger among Chinese netizens.
Musk has been a regular target of criticism for skepticism of China’s claims on space technology and his comments about the country’s one-party rule and its treatment of minorities. But his recent forelock-tugging seems part of a more orchestrated effort by Beijing to demonstrate that marquee Western business leaders support the nation’s policies and values globally, analysts say.
Since landing in Beijing on Tuesday, the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has met with China’s foreign, commerce, and industry ministers while dining with Zeng Yuqun, chairman of top battery supplier CATL (300750. SZ). He has also been invited to visit the firm’s Shanghai factory, where the company is expected to unveil its next generation of fully self-driving vehicles.
During his meeting on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry praised Musk, saying the interests of the two countries are “intertwined” and the economies of the world’s largest and second-largest powers are like “conjoined twins.” The ministry added that Tesla is willing to expand its operations in the country, which is its biggest market after the United States.
The Tesla chief is expected to meet other senior officials on his visit, including a trip to the company’s Shanghai plant. The company has been operating in the country since opening its first wholly foreign-owned factory in 2019, following Beijing’s easing ownership rules for the sector.
During a pre-recorded appearance at the China New Energy Vehicle Summit in Beijing, Musk complimented Chinese companies for their efforts in driving global demand for electric vehicles and autonomous cars. But he was also critical of the United States, which he likened to a neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, white supremacist nation, even though its people are “the most morally advanced on Earth.”
Musk’s comments came as China’s president vowed to crush anyone who bullies his country during an annual commemoration of the centenary of its revolution. In a defiant speech that hailed the ruling Communist Party’s role in lifting China to global power, Xi Jinping said those who tried to intimidate his country would face broken hearts and bloodshed. Xi’s speech was widely seen as a dig at the US and others criticizing Beijing for its trade and technology policies, military expansion, and human rights record. He also urged the world to respect China’s rise to “global prominence.”
