BEIJING (AP) — Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk met with a top government leader in the Chinese capital on Sunday, just as the country’s automakers showed off their latest electric vehicle models at the Beijing auto show.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang told Musk he hopes the US will work more with China on a “win-win” partnership, citing Tesla’s operations in China as a successful example of economic cooperation, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on his main evening news program.
For China, Musk is a welcome antidote to the tough talk from US officials, which recently occurred during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Li’s comments also reflect China’s efforts to attract foreign investment to boost its weak economy.
It was not clear whether Musk would attend the car show, which runs this week. Chinese automakers and startups have launched a slew of electric cars in recent years, some of which took on Tesla and undercut the U.S. manufacturer on price.
An earlier online CCTV report said Musk had come at the invitation of China’s Council for the Promotion of International Trade and met with its president, Ren Hongbin, to exchange views on further cooperation and other topics.
Tesla has a major manufacturing base in Shanghai for both domestic sales in China and exports to Europe and other regions. A week ago it cut prices in China, dropping the Model 3 to 231,900 yuan ($32,700) and the Model Y to 249,900 yuan ($35,200), following similar cuts in the US.
The European Union has launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies for the EV industry that could lead to tariffs on electric vehicles made in China, including possibly Tesla cars.
The green energy subsidies have helped transform China’s auto market, with EVs accounting for about a quarter of new car sales last year, hitting demand for gasoline vehicles.
Foreign automakers such as Volkswagen and Nissan are scrambling to develop new EV models to hold or regain market share in China, the world’s largest auto market.
