Elon Musk tells China Tesla cars will never be used to spy for the US after Beijing ‘banned them from military bases over fears their cameras could be recording sensitive information’
- Musk made the comments on Saturday at the China Development Forum, where he appeared virtually
- They came one day after Reuters news agency reported that the Chinese military had banned Teslas from their facilities over security concerns
- China is Tesla’s largest market after the United States and Musk has made several high-profile appearances in the country in recent years
Elon Musk has said that his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy on China.
The comments were made in response to news that China’s military has banned Teslas from its facilities.
‘There’s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information, Musk said.
‘If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down.’
Musk made the remarks while appearing digitally at a prominent Chinese forum on Saturday.
Elon Musk has told a Chinese forum that his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy on China
A day earlier, Reuters news agency reported that the Chinese military had banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles.
The directive – which was said to have come from top Chinese military officials – advised Tesla owners to park their cars outside military property.
The restrictions surfaced as the top Chinese and U.S. diplomats held a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first such in-person interaction since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.
On Friday, Reuters news agency reported that the Chinese military had banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles. Pictured: A man walks past a Tesla Model S is pictured in Beijing
The U.S. has also been distrustful of some Chinese companies, taking effectively blacklisting communications giant Huawei and threatening to ban popular app TikTok over concerns that users’ data could be given to the Chinese government.
Musk downplayed the fears on Saturday, saying: ‘Even if there was spying, what would the other country learn and would it actually matter?’
Musk urged greater mutual trust between the world’s two biggest economies in his remarks to the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering hosted by a foundation under the State Council.
Musk was speaking at the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering hosted by a foundation under the State Council
He was speaking with Xue Qikun, a Chinese quantum physicist who heads the Southern University of Science and Technology.
China is the largest market for Tesla after the US and accounted for around a quarter of the auto company’s global sales in 2020.
As the world’s biggest car market, the country is a key battleground for electric vehicles.
In China, Tesla is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals, including Nio Inc and Geely.
The Chinese military’s apparent concerns about Tesla underscore a broader issue for automakers as they equip more vehicles with cameras and sensors that capture images of a car’s surroundings.
Who controls how those images are used and where they are sent and stored is a fast-emerging challenge for the auto industry and regulators around the world.
Musk is scheduled to speak online on Saturday at a state-hosted annual global economic gathering in Beijing called the China Development Forum. China has become an important market for the U.S. carmaker. Musk is pictured in Shanghai in January 2020
Tesla cars have several external cameras to assist with parking and self-driving and Chief Executive Elon Musk has often spoken about the value of the data Tesla vehicles capture that can be used to develop autonomous driving.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y also have cameras in the rear view mirror for driver safety that are disabled by default.
Musk has made several high-profile appearances in China, where his company makes as well as sells its cars.
In 2019, he discussed Mars and artificial intelligence with Alibaba’s outspoken founder Jack Ma.
At a delivery event last year for China-made Model 3 sedans, Musk danced enthusiastically on stage, stripping off his jacket in what became a viral social media moment.