A private jet used by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has arrived in Beijing, with the billionaire expected to meet senior mainland officials and visit Tesla's Shanghai plant, sources told Reuters news agency.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that China welcomes Musk and other business leaders to visit the nation and promotes mutually beneficial cooperation.

"We would like to see foreign investors operate in China," spokesperson Mao Ning said while responding to a question on Musk's visiting China and possibly meeting senior Chinese officials.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Musk had arrived in China. If confirmed, it would be his first trip to China in three years.

Musk’s private jet, a 2015 Gulfstream G650ER, was shown leaving Alaska on Tuesday morning Asia time before crossing over Japan and South Korea, according to ADS-B Exchange, a flight aggregation website.

The jet with its identifying tail number could be seen at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday.

China is Tesla's second-largest market after the US, and the Shanghai plant is the electric car maker's largest production hub. (Reuters)
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Last updated: 2023-05-30 HKT 15:50