Tesla would be shut down if its cars spied in China: Musk

BEIJING • Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said his company would be shut down if its cars were used to spy, his first comments on 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," Mr Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion yesterday.

"If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we would get shut down."

Sources told Reuters on Friday that the Chinese military has banned Tesla cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras installed on the vehicles.

Those restrictions surfaced as top Chinese and United States diplomats were holding a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first such in-person interaction since US President Joe Biden took office in January.

Mr 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.

He was holding a discussion panel with Dr Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of the Southern University of Science and Technology.

In China, the world's biggest car market and a key battleground for electric vehicles, Tesla sold 147,445 vehicles last year, making up 30 per cent of its global total.

However, it is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals such as Nio and Geely.

REUTERS