Obtaining a Chinese ‘green card’ is no easy task, but nothing seems to be impossible for Tesla CEO Elon Musk. According to a Channel News Asia report, the controversial figure behind Tesla, PayPal, SpaceX and the lesser known The Boring Company was offered permanent residency in China after he professed his love for the Middle Kingdom earlier this week.
Musk was in China to break ground on Tesla’s new Shanghai Gigafactory. During his visit, he also had time to try out some local delicacies and meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.
The trip to China seems to have left a lasting impression on the entrepreneur. In his meeting with Premier Li on Wednesday, Musk admitted that he loves China and wishes he could visit the country more often. Seemingly pleased by this, the premier allegedly replied: “If this is what you truly have in mind, we can offer you a ‘Chinese green card’.”
According to a report on the Chinese government’s website, the men also discussed Tesla’s China market ambitions. Li expressed his hope for Tesla to play a role in China’s reform and opening-up and said that the electric carmaker could help build more stable China-US relations.
The green card offer Musk received from the premier is quite impressive, as it has previously been given to an exclusive group of foreigners including Nobel Prize winners and sports stars.
As of now, Tesla has declined to comment on the matter, so it is unknown whether Mr. Musk will take on the offer.
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[Cover image via the State Council of the People’s Republic of China]
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