‘FLATTERY AND FEASTS’

Musk Gets Warm Welcome in China—and Right-Wing Criticism Back Home

There may be other billionaires visiting China this week, but the Tesla and Twitter CEO appears to have won locals’ hearts, reports suggest.

Elon Musk received a warm welcome in China this week as he arrived for his first visit since 2020, reports suggested. The billionaire was greeted with “flattery and feasts” upon landing in Beijing on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The Twitter CEO and Tesla boss met with three government officials: China’s foreign, commerce and industry ministers—while also reportedly meeting and dining with the head of the country’s top battery supplier, Zeng Yuqun. Musk may not be the only billionaire in town but he seems to have struck a chord on Chinese social media after being hailed as a “pioneer.” American billionaire James Dimon, the chairman and chief executive officer of JPMorgan, is also in town, as well as CEO of Starbucks Laxman Narasimhan—but according to reporter Katrina Hamlin, Musk’s popularity is “not surprising.” His Tesla factory in Shanghai is the company’s largest, “fueling an auto export boom helping China become the world’s largest auto exporter.” The meetings have caused some ire in the U.S. however, with 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy slamming Musk's comments as “deeply concerning” for “kowtowing to the Chinese Community party, presumably as a basis for gaining favorable market treatment there.”