Elon Musk, who was in China to break ground at the site of a future Tesla “gigafactory” in Shanghai earlier this week, has been spotted enjoying some hot pot at one of Beijing’s top hot pot restaurants.
In a video shared on Jan. 10 by The Global Times, the Tesla CEO can be seen dining at the highly-regarded hot pot spot, Qimen Shuanrou, according to Shanghaiist.
Eating alongside him is Musk’s alleged ex-girlfriend and singer, Grimes.
Aside from Grimes, Musk has also reportedly made time to meet with several top Chinese leaders, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, to discuss Tesla’s future in the Middle Kingdom.
“I hope to build Tesla’s Shanghai factory into a global example. I really love China, I’m willing to visit here more often,” Musk told Li, the Shanghaiist reported.
In response, Li said, “If this is what you truly have in mind, we can give you a Chinese green card.”
Although obtaining a Chinese green card has become less of a rarity now than it was in the past (1,881 foreigners received one in the past two months compared to the mere hundreds in entire years previously), it is still considered by some to be “one of the most difficult tasks in the world.”
If Musk were to obtain one, he would join the ranks of esteemed figures such 2016 Nobel-Prize winning chemist Bernard Feringa, and former NBA all-star (and CBA legend) Stephon Marbury.
Tesla’s Shanghai plant, which is expected to finish construction by the end of the summer, is the first of its kind outside of the U.S. It is expected to produce 500,000 cars a year when fully operational.
While the company has recently been forced to slash prices in China due to the U.S.-China trade war, hopes are high that the new gigafactory — which has been described as the largest foreign investment in Shanghai’s history — will allow the automotive giant to maintain its footing in the world’s largest market for electric cars.
Featured Image via Twitter & YouTube / (left) Global Times and (right) ETVBharat English
