Elon Musk made an unexpected visit to Beijing on Sunday, where he is set to meet with government officials to discuss bringing self-driving software to China, as well as seeking permission to transfer data outside the country. According to Reuters, Premier Li Qiang met with Musk and commended Tesla’s growth in China as a successful example of economic and trade cooperation with the United States.
The introduction of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in China would mark a significant milestone for Tesla as it competes with local electric car manufacturers. While Tesla introduced an autonomous version of Autopilot technology four years ago, it has yet to bring this technology to China. However, Musk recently hinted on social media that FSD could be coming to China “very soon.”
Transferring data from China is crucial for training Tesla’s algorithms for self-driving capabilities. Since 2021, Tesla has stored data collected in China on servers in Beijing to comply with Chinese regulations, without sending it to the United States. This visit to Beijing highlights the importance of Tesla’s relationship with China and the potential impact of introducing FSD software in the country.