US President Donald Trump recently hosted Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the White House, where they displayed electric vehicles in a scene reminiscent of a Chinese government compound meeting years ago.
In January 2019, Li Keqiang, China’s second-in-command at the time, met with Musk to promote stable US-China relations. During their discussion, Li offered Musk a green card and Tesla received favorable conditions for its Shanghai factory, including low-interest loans and relaxed ownership rules.
The event was not an isolated incident; Teslas were also displayed in Beijing in 2018 during a meeting between Musk and China’s vice president Wang Qishan. The gatherings highlight the importance of China to Tesla’s growth at the time.
However, today, Tesla faces challenges in both China and the US. Sales are declining in China due to domestic competition, while protests and violence have erupted at Tesla dealerships and charging stations in the US over Musk’s politics.
One notable difference between the two events was the attire of the attendees: Musk wore a T-shirt and baseball cap at the White House, whereas he donned a suit during the 2019 Beijing meeting.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/us/politics/trump-tesla-musk-china-beijing.html