Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a ‘great leader’ during an interview with Chinese state television network CCTV on Wednesday.
Musk said China had prospered immensely under Xi’s tenure, pointing to the new buildings and infrastructure constructed across the country.
Musk praises China’s growth
‘It’s also obvious to see that, just walking around the streets, the increased prosperity of the average Chinese citizen,’ Musk said.
Musk was expected to join other US chief executives at a White House state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump for Xi on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Xi is due to meet Trump on Thursday in the second summit this year between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.
Praise for Tesla’s Shanghai operation
Musk also spoke about Tesla’s largest manufacturing hub in Shanghai, describing its team as ‘incredibly talented, hardworking and trustworthy’.
‘Tesla’s Shanghai factory is a gem and it’s beautiful, actually, if anyone’s ever been there,’ he said.
Musk had previously dismissed speculation that Tesla’s China operations could be separated ahead of a potential merger with SpaceX.
Shanghai plant remains key export hub
Sales of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced at Tesla’s Shanghai plant rose 3.6% year-on-year in August.
The Shanghai facility is also Tesla’s largest export hub globally, although the August sales growth slowed sharply from the previous month as divergent trends continued across the US automaker’s major markets.
