From electric cars to solar panels, Mr. Musk has built businesses in high-tech manufacturing sectors now targeted by Beijing for Chinese dominance.
Assisted driving systems and robot taxis are becoming more popular with government help, as cities designate large areas for testing on public roads.
Computer-aided driving has official support and public acceptance, but state media seldom reports crashes or safety incidents, and online posts are censored.
Elon Musk’s electric car company reported a drop in sales in the first three months of the year, and its profit margin has been falling for months.
Musk ayudó a crear la industria china de vehículos eléctricos. Pero ahora se enfrenta a desafíos allí, así como al escrutinio en Occidente por su dependencia al país.
Mr. Musk helped create China’s electric vehicle industry. But he is now facing challenges there as well as scrutiny in the West over his reliance on the country.
Gross domestic product expanded 5.2 percent, as China worked to export more to make up for weak demand, high debt and a steep property contraction at home.
The Shanghai auto show, the largest in China since before the pandemic, had one theme: The dominance of electric vehicles in the world’s largest car market is here to stay.
Domestic companies are now selling more vehicles than their multinational rivals, which have failed to keep up with Chinese consumers’ demand for electric cars and S.U.V.s.
The facility will produce batteries the size of shipping containers to help electric utilities stabilize grids and use more renewable energy.