Elon Musk says Tesla would be closed if its cars were spied on in China. (FILE)
Beijing:
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company would be closed if its cars were used for espionage, its first comment on news that China’s military has banned Teslas from its facilities.
“There is a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information,” Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion, saying that Tesla would be closed if its vehicles spied in China or elsewhere.
Sources told Reuters on Friday that the Chinese military had banned Tesla cars from entering their complexes, citing concerns over the safety of the cameras installed in the vehicles.
These restrictions came as the top Chinese and American diplomats held a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first personal interaction since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
Musk called for greater mutual trust between the two largest economies in the world, in his comments to the China Development Forum, a high-level business meeting organized by a foundation under the Council of State.
He was conducting a panel discussion with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specializing in quantum physics who is now head of the Southern University of Science and Technology.
In China, the world’s largest automotive market and a major battleground for electric vehicles, Tesla sold 147,445 vehicles last year. However, it is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals from Nio Inc to Geely.
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