China Is Banning Teslas From Government Premises

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China Is Banning Teslas From Government Premises

China is cracking down on Teslas, banning them from government-affiliated premises over security concerns, despite a high-profile show of cooperation between Elon Musk and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

According to Nikkei Asia, Tesla drivers are increasingly being turned away from venues and premises that are run by or affiliated with the government. The list of places includes exhibition centers, cultural centers, local authority agencies, government affiliates, and highway operations, in addition to military bases that were already off limits.

“If you have a meeting there, the meeting organizer will actually give you notice ahead of time and ask that you don’t drive or hire a Tesla car,” one individuals said about the Grand Halls, a state-backed conference center in Shanghai’s North Bund district. “You cannot enter the venue with a Tesla car.”

There has been growing concern in China about data security as it pertains to the data Teslas collect. As Nikkei points out, Tesla has tried to address these concerns by opening a data center in China and promising that all data collected by Teslas in-country would be stored there, rather than be stored overseas.

The timing of the increased restrictions on Tesla is interesting, especially in light of Musk’s recent visit to China. During that visit, he and Premier Li Qiang discussed the company’s expansion in China, with Li Qiang praising Tesla’s contribution to the country’s EV market.

Despite the show of goodwill, it appears Tesla may be the latest casualty in the escalating tension between the US and China. The US recently passed legislation that would force Chinese company ByteDance to divest its US TikTok operations or face a ban, citing national security concerns. China has long warned that a ban on TikTok would would be met with retaliation.

If the US/China tensions continue to escalate, Tesla and its customers won’t be the last to face increased restrictions.

China Is Banning Teslas From Government Premises
Matt Milano

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