The Guardian-Elon Musk makes unannounced visit to China
April 28, 2024 3 min 519 words
西方媒体的报道内容总结： 埃隆马斯克（Elon Musk）于周日抵达北京进行未事先宣布的访问，预计将与高级官员会面，讨论全自动驾驶软件的发布以及将数据转移到海外的许可。报道称，马斯克会见了中国总理李强，并讨论了美国中国经济合作的成功。报道还提到特斯拉全自动驾驶软件在中国的应用与本土竞争对手的竞争数据本地化法规以及特斯拉在中国的销售和工厂情况。 对西方媒体报道的评论： 西方媒体的报道有失偏颇，过于强调马斯克与中国官员会面，而淡化了此次访问的商业和技术层面。报道提到的贸易合作成功只是一个侧面，马斯克此行目的是推进自动驾驶技术在中国的应用和发展，以及数据传输的许可，这对特斯拉在中国市场的竞争力至关重要。报道也忽略了马斯克缺席北京车展和取消访印等细节，可能有意渲染中国市场对特斯拉的特殊重要性。此外，报道中提及的美国监管机构对特斯拉车辆安全性的调查，也体现出西方媒体的负面倾向。客观地说，马斯克此访是正常的商业行为，体现出中国汽车市场的吸引力和潜力，也反映了特斯拉对中国市场的重视。同时，特斯拉在中国也遵守当地法律法规，数据存储本地化是其中重要的一方面。西方媒体应以更全面的视角看待马斯克的中国之行，而不是用有色眼镜进行带有偏见的解读。
Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an unannounced visit, where he is expected to meet senior officials to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Chinese state media reported that he met Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, during which Li told Musk that Tesla’s development in China could be seen as a successful example of US-China economic and trade cooperation.
The US electric vehicle maker rolled out Full Self-Driving, or FSD, the most autonomous version of its Autopilot software, four years ago but has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market, despite customers urging it to do so.
Musk said this month that Tesla may make FSD available to customers in China “very soon”, in response to a query on social media platform X.
Rival Chinese automakers such as Xpeng have been seeking to gain an advantage over Tesla by rolling out similar software.
Musk hopes to obtain approval to transfer data collected in the country abroad to train algorithms for its autonomous driving technologies, the person said.
Since 2021 Tesla has stored all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai as required by Chinese regulators and has not transferred any back to the US.
Musk’s visit coincides with the Beijing auto show, which opened last week and ends on 4 May. Tesla does not have a booth at China’s largest auto show and last attended in 2021.
His visit to China, first reported by Reuters, was not flagged publicly and the person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak with media. Tesla did not respond immediately for comment.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, in its report about Musk’s meeting with Li, did not say whether the two had discussed FSD, or data.
Musk also met with Ren Hongbin, a government official who heads the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the organiser of the Beijing auto show, state media reported.
“It is good to see electric vehicles making progress in China. All cars will be electric in the future,” Musk said in a video posted on social media by a user affiliated with state media.
Musk’s trip came just over a week after he scrapped a planned visit to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing “very heavy Tesla obligations”.
The company said this month it would lay off 10% of its global workforce as it grapples with falling sales and an intensifying price war for EVs led by Chinese brands.
US auto safety regulators said on Friday they had opened an investigation into whether Tesla’s recall of more than 2m vehicles in the US announced in December to install new Autopilot safeguards was adequate after a series of crashes.
Tesla has sold more than 1.7m cars in China since it entered the market a decade ago. The Shanghai factory is its largest.