Elon Musk lands in China for Tesla talks

STORY: Elon Musk has landed in China.

His private jet was seen arriving in Beijing on Tuesday (May 30).

There was no immediate confirmation the Tesla and Twitter boss was on board.

But China's foreign minister later said he had met Musk for a discussion.

The billionaire's plans in China aren’t clear, but Reuters reported back in March that Musk was planning a visit, and seeking a meeting with Premier Li Qiang.

He’s also expected to visit Tesla’s factory in Shanghai.

Officials in Beijing welcomed his arrival.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China wanted to see foreign businesses deepen their presence there.

The trip comes as Tesla faces intensifying competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers like BYD.

There is also uncertainty around expansion plans for the Shanghai plant.

Tesla has indicated plans to boost output there by 450,000 vehicles per year.

Another question is whether Chinese officials will approve the release of Tesla’s advanced driver assistance features.

That’s part of the Full Self Driving software it sells in other markets for $15,000 per car.