- Elon Musk is visiting China for the first time in three years.
- Photos from the visit show Musk's private jet landing and the Tesla CEO's 16-course meal.
Elon Musk touched down in China for the first time in three years on Tuesday — a key trip for the Tesla chief.
China is a crucial market for Tesla. It is home to the electric-car maker's largest production hub, as well as the biggest EV market in the world. Musk's social media company, Twitter, is banned in China.
The billionaire's private jet landed at an airport in Beijing. Musk had flown from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska and then China, according to the college student who tracks Musk's jet using public data.
The Tesla boss was welcomed into the country and greeted with praise, according to a report from Reuters. The publication said that Musk was hailed as a "pioneer" and called "Brother Ma" — a reference to Alibaba's Jack Ma.
Musk was spotted leaving his hotel in Beijing alongside Tesla's Senior VP of Automotive Tom Zhu, one of the billionaire's righthand men at the electric-car maker.
On Tuesday, Musk visited the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, where photos showed him getting out of a Model X.
The CEO met with Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, Reuters said. Qin reportedly told Musk that China wants to improve relations between Tesla and the country, and the foreign ministry told Reuters in a statement that Musk had said he's interested in advancing the carmaker's reach in China.
On Tuesday night, he and Zeng Yuqun, the founder of battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology, enjoyed a 16-course meal at an upscale restaurant Man Fu Yan, Reuters reported. The menu appears to have been custom made for Musk and was emblazoned with Tesla's logo, according to photos posted on social media.
On Wednesday, he met with China's minister of industry and information technology, Jin Zhuanglong, Associated Press reported.
Musk and a spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. The billionaire has yet to post about his visit on Twitter, which is banned in China.
Musk is one of several US CEOs to visit China in recent months. Earlier this month, the billionaire said growing tensions between China and the US "should be a concern for everyone."
"The Chinese economy and the rest of the global economy are like conjoined twins. It would be like trying to separate conjoined twins. That's the severity of the situation," Musk told CNBC's David Faber, adding that the situation will be "worse" for companies other than Tesla, including Apple.
Musk has been seen being friendly with Chinese officials in the past. In 2019, the billionaire met with the then-premier of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang.
And in 2020, Musk celebrated the grand opening of Tesla's Shanghai factory by dancing on stage.
Musk is expected to visit the Shanghai factory and meet with other Chinese officials later this week, Reuters reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The publication previously reported that Musk was aiming to meet with Chinese premier Li Qiang.
Some analysts have hailed Musk's visit to China as a positive sign. Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives said in a note that Musk appears to be "playing nice" with Beijing as Tesla "finds itself in a tight wire act to balance its success and production within China which remains a vital market in both the supply and demand front."
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