Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “great leader” during a CCTV interview, highlighting China’s rapid development and the performance of Tesla’s Shanghai factory. He also noted the upcoming Xi‑Trump summit in Washington.
In a live interview with China’s state television network CCTV, Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk described President Xi Jinping as a “great leader,” saying the country has “prospered immensely” under his tenure. Musk pointed to the surge of new buildings and infrastructure, adding that the everyday prosperity of Chinese citizens is evident simply by walking the streets (India Today, 1).
The CEO also turned the conversation to Tesla’s operations in China, praising the Shanghai Gigafactory as a “gem” and its workforce as “incredibly talented, hardworking and trustworthy.” He highlighted that sales of Model 3 and Model Y produced at the Shanghai plant rose 3.6% year‑on‑year in August, though the growth slowed from the previous month (India Today, 1).
Beyond the corporate remarks, Musk referenced the broader diplomatic context, noting that President Xi is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday in Washington, marking the second summit this year between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies (India Today, 1).
The interview underscores Musk’s continued optimism about China’s market and its strategic importance to Tesla’s global supply chain. While the remarks have drawn attention to the political dimension of the CEO’s public statements, they also reinforce the company’s confidence in its Shanghai operations as a cornerstone of its international growth strategy.