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Musk says Tesla would be shut down if its cars spied in China, elsewhere

Published 03/20/2021, 12:02 AM
Updated 03/20/2021, 02:10 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk

BEIJING (Reuters) - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday 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," Musk told a prominent Chinese forum during a virtual discussion. "If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will 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 the top Chinese and U.S. diplomats were holding a contentious meeting in Alaska, the first such in-person interaction since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.

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 is hosted by a foundation under the State Council.

He was holding a discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese quantum physicist who heads the Southern University of Science and Technology.

In China, the world's biggest car market and a key battleground for electric vehicles (EVs), Tesla sold 147,445 vehicles last year, 30% of its global total. However, it is facing more competition this year from domestic rivals from Nio (NYSE:NIO) Inc to Geely.

Musk has made several high-profile appearances in China, where Tesla makes as well as sells EVs. In 2019, he discussed Mars and artificial intelligence with Alibaba (NYSE:BABA)'s outspoken founder Jack Ma.

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At a delivery event last year for China-made Model 3 sedans, Musk danced enthusiastically on stage, stripping off his jacket in what became a social media storm.

Latest comments

Even the chinese like tesla so much it scares their dear leader. Buy more stock!!!
Musk and Tesla knows the fake high pricings of their stock is about to go down. It seems trumpanzees and rethuglican goons are not concerened about Tesla outsourcing their production to china for years as long as it fills their pockets,besides mr.langley should know chinese have already reverse engineered the ev battery technologies.
Military installations do NOT allow you to take cameras on their property so how will USA and China stop cars loaded with camera from recording the data on their cameras that are used in driven cars and trucks or people that carry their cell phone with cameras to record the military site and people the camera sees ? The cameras can be others that see through walls" also, record audio and essentially be on site spy machines and intercept encrypted network transmissions. it's like allowing a spy machine on the property !
Lmao. America beams back data and high rez info planets away. I promise you a car isnt a problem and if something is being sent out its because they want it to.
Its normal. all his friends want to buy a Tesla shares for $450
Why do people support this guy
Im confused so is Chinese military so incapible they cant stop a car accessing them or is tesla so advanced its not possible?
much like the mighty usa army can't handle a mobile phone from china
the Chinese themselves do not invent anything. they just repeat everything for Western countries. it has always been that way. before, there was no such communication and information did not reach China. Chinese manufacturers stole ideas from the United States and Europe. and they told their people that it was their invention. now Chinese manufacturers, out of habit, also steal ideas, but information can already be found on the Internet
so you think a mobile phone is the same as a vehicle lmao?
Tesla stock-r become roller coaster on monday..
Tesla down to 300...
All in my kidneys
The first companies that will pay the price is Tesla and Apple. If USA doesn't ease its aggressiveness then I see tarrifs coming on American products and subsidies for Chinese (e.g. Nio). I was speculating such bans few months ago and everybody was saying is just blah blah. Here we come now, China has huge arsenal to boycott American products which haven't used yet, however, when they do all the well known us companies will come under huge pressure.
taught *
You see only the one side then. A multinational company wouldn't think the same way you do. A company which produces shoes for example wants the market of China but its labor too. Otherwise the cost of shoe will get higher which as a result will lead to higher prices for the consumers worldwide. USA has higher GDP but China is in second place. The huge difference is the population which is almost 4 times higher than US (more population means more and cheaper labor). Do some research and you will find out how important is China not only for USA but for every country on this world.
 Dear Allen, you are very confused. The biggest market for vehicles is already China and most of the bigger companys strive to sell their products on the Chinese market. Sadly the employment rate and the GDP is also declining in the US on the long term. The decline of the States started about 50 years ago when the government destroyed the workers unions and the healthcare system. You do understand that the Chinese government is holding the majority of the US debt? It is a huge issue that the US market depends on credit card system and everything bought is on credit. The FED also just stated that they do not plan on raise the interest rates in the next 2-3 years. What then? Again a housing crysis and loads of unsecured debts will hit the consumer based economy of the US. Im not seeing a bright future ahead. The problem itself is the so called American Dream propaganda which enables the technocrats to keep the majority of the people poor without enough social benefits from the government.
Good luck developing self driving technology that works in China
National security for pretext is a great American creation, and it reminds every countries in the world a new way to respond to US actions on that. Good luck.
Elon is suggesting peace between the two great economies of the world, but they want to each other out while musk is encouraging for govts to co-operate so they dont each other. Business minded people always strive and survive, politicians and nationalist go underground, as well as their legacies :$
the only spy here is spyderman
power in the network
is this news, elon musk says, green means gp, 2+2=4, you get the scoop
YEAH, actually it'll be Good for TESLA
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