Tesla CEO Elon Musk attended the China Development Forum held on the 20th, and said, “If Tesla vehicles were used for espionage activities anywhere, including China, we would close the door.” Earlier, the Chinese government demanded that some agencies prevent employees from driving Tesla cars to work. Photo = REUTERS
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said, “If Tesla was used for espionage activities anywhere, including China, we would close the door” regarding the Chinese military’s ban on Tesla vehicles.
According to Reuters and others on the 20th (local time), Musk made such an announcement that he attended the China Development Forum hosted by the Development Research Foundation of the State Council of China online. “We have a very strong motivational system to keep all information confidential, and we do not hand over customer information to any country, whether it be the United States or China,” Musk said. Also, regarding the allegations of TikTok’s personal information leakage raised in the United States, he emphasized mutual trust, saying, “I think it is an unnecessary concern.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 19th that the Chinese authorities have taken measures to prevent military and government officials from military and government agencies, and those in the defense-related industries, such as aviation, from driving Tesla vehicles for weeks. The WSJ analyzed that the US imposed restrictions on Tesla in retaliation for sanctioning Huawei, China’s largest telecommunications equipment company.
Tesla’s vehicle is equipped with 8 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and radar for autonomous driving. These devices collect a variety of information, including when, where and how the vehicle was used. Some point out that the driver’s mobile phone is synchronized with the vehicle, which can lead to information leakage.
Tesla has been operating a factory in Shanghai, China since the end of 2018. Of Tesla’s 500,000 units sold worldwide last year, 135,000 units, or about 30%, were sold in China. This year, it also started selling the model Y, a sports utility vehicle, in addition to the existing semi-mid-sized sedan Model 3, and by February, the total sales volume reached 34,000 units, nearly four times larger than the same period last year.
Although Tesla’s dependence on the Chinese market continues to grow, the Chinese government has recently summoned Tesla’s Chinese subsidiary to strengthen checks, so Tesla’s future in China is not bright, WSJ said.
Beijing = correspondent Kang Hyun-woo [email protected]
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