Musk Praises Xi and China’s AI in CCTV Interview

Elon Musk praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s leadership and China’s economic and technological development in a CCTV interview aired September 23, while also commending Tesla’s Shanghai operation and assessing China’s artificial-intelligence capabilities. Musk called Xi a “great leader” and said China had prospered under his leadership. He pointed to infrastructure and new buildings, as well as what he described as greater prosperity among ordinary Chinese citizens. The remarks were made ahead of a planned September 24 meeting between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk also praised Tesla’s Shanghai team, calling its members talented and trustworthy, and described the factory as a gem. The Shanghai facility is a major manufacturing and export hub for Tesla. Reports said sales of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced there rose 3.6% year over year in August, with growth slowing from July. The reports did not provide underlying sales records. On artificial intelligence, Musk said Chinese models performed well despite limits on computing resources.