Elon Musk visited Beijing to seek China’s approval for Tesla to roll out advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), including Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, and permissions for data transfer overseas, Reuters reports.
Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss the FSD rollout, although details were not disclosed. Musk’s visit coincided with a key endorsement from a top Chinese auto association, affirming Tesla’s compliance with China’s data security requirements for its Model 3 and Y cars. Additionally, Tesla reportedly reached an agreement with Baidu to use their mapping license for data collection, a crucial step for FSD introduction in China.
Chinese regulators had since 2021 required Tesla to store all data collected by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai, leaving the company unable to transfer any back to the US. Now, Musk is seeking approval to transfer data collected in China back to the US to train autonomous driving algorithms.
Musk’s trip comes after canceling a planned visit to India to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing “Tesla obligations.” Musk was anticipated to announce a $2 to $3 billion investment in the country, including a car plant, after India introduced a new policy that lowered import taxes on EVs.
