Chinese state media released a series of interview videos featuring Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk one day before a U.S.-China summit. In the clips, Musk, the world's richest person, describes Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "great leader."
In a video released on the 23rd local time by an online platform of China Central Television, Musk said of Xi that "he seems to be a great leader," adding that "China has prospered enormously during his time in office." In a separate video released the same day by the new media arm of the People's Daily, Musk said China's infrastructure is "objectively better than that of the United States." The outlets did not disclose the exact location or date of the interview, saying only that it was conducted recently.
"This is something I have experienced firsthand," Musk said. "When you go to China, you can see very clearly how much progress is made every year, and even within a single year." He added that "you can see new buildings and new infrastructure, and just walking down the street you can tell that the level of prosperity enjoyed by ordinary people in China has risen enormously." Musk said "all of this appears to have happened while Xi has been China's leader," adding that "he has done an excellent job and is very capable."
Musk, who operates Tesla's largest production plant in China, the Shanghai Gigafactory, joined U.S. President Donald Trump's delegation when Trump visited China in May. He brought along his son X when he went to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the U.S.-China summit was held, and the boy, reported to be 6 years old, drew attention for wearing Chinese-style clothing.
Xi is scheduled to hold a summit with Trump in the United States on the 24th U.S. Eastern time, his first such meeting on American soil in 11 years. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Trump, greeting Xi and his wife at a Washington airport, said "President Xi is a great leader and this is a great moment."
