Elon Musk’s selfie with Lei Jun goes viral in China<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nA fleeting moment between Elon Musk and Lei Jun has become one of China’s most talked-about viral clips, with more than 20 million views.<\/p>\n
The selfie, taken before a state banquet in Beijing, captured Musk raising his eyebrows and exhaling as Lei bowed, a reaction that quickly became a story.<\/p>\n
The image, widely shared on Chinese social platforms, became a cultural talking point. Some users focused on Musk’s face, saying his expression looked dismissive or even amused, while others lightly joked that Lei, a longtime fan and early Tesla owner, was “humbled” right in front of his idol, even in public.<\/p>\n
This moment basically reflects Musk’s awkward position in China, where people praise him as a tech visionary but also criticize Tesla for the way it handles customer complaints, and this mix is \u200b\u200bquite common online.<\/p>\n
The viral selfie happened while Musk was in Beijing, as part of a US trade delegation accompanying Donald Trump for talks with Xi Jinping. Other executives, including the leaders of Apple and Nvidia, also attended, signaling how high the stakes are for U.S. companies trying to navigate China’s regulatory and economic landscape.<\/p>\n
Musk said he hopes to “achieve a lot of good things” in China, indicating he will remain engaged even as tensions rise in the background.<\/p>\n
While Tesla remains dominant, its dominance is under pressure from local competitors who are closing the gap on price and technology. Nearly a fifth of Tesla’s revenue last year came from China, where more than 626,000 vehicles were sold, yet the domestic brand is increasingly innovating.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n