Elon Musk praises China as inbound foreign tourism rises by 20%

Foreign visitors walk along a pedestrian street in central Shanghai, China, June 27, 2026. /VCG

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, posted on social media platform X, "China is awesome. I strongly encourage people to visit."

His mother, Maye Musk, retweeted the post, concurring with her son: "I agree. Each city has its own charm with different cultural sites to see. Buildings and streets are clean and in good repair. Also, people are polite, hard-working, and respectful. I feel safe, so enjoy going to China."

This was not Maye Musk's first time encouraging people to visit China. In the past few years, she has toured multiple cities in the country, including Guangzhou, Xiamen, Chengdu, Suzhou, Huzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Zhuhai and Wuxi. She has publicly expressed her fondness for the country on multiple occasions. In one X post in October 2025, she wrote, "China is so advanced in roads, tunnels, buildings, infrastructure, and ports. Always impressed when I visit."

Compliments from Elon Musk and his mother came as China witnesses a significant expansion of foreign visitors this year.

According to the National Immigration Administration, the number of inbound foreigners reached 22.91 million in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%. Among them, foreigners entering under visa-free policies reached 17.82 million, up 30.6% compared to the year before.

A new global survey by Pew Research Center shows that international perceptions of China are significantly improving.

Elon Musk's post was in response to an ARK Invest podcast, produced by an investment firm, titled "Tesla may not need China anymore."