Asian Tech Press (Sep 19) -- The Shandong Highway operator issuing a notice on Monday, is the latest case of Tesla being specifically banned in China.
On Monday afternoon, an account of Shandong Hi-Speed Group posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo, saying, "Receiving notice from the traffic police, the two-way entrance to the G2 Beijing–Shanghai Expressway at Ganggou Station is prohibited for vans, trucks, and Tesla brand vehicles."
Apart from the brief statement, the highway operator did not explain why the traffic police issued the restriction on Tesla brand vehicles or how long it would last.
However, upon checking, the notice is no longer visible under the account.
And a netizen said on the social media platform on Tuesday that she was stopped at the entrance to the highway at Ganggou Station when she was traveling from Jinan to Zhangqiu in her Tesla car at around 10 a.m.
The female Tesla driver, when asked about the story, responded, "Some reasons I can't say ……"
As of now, Tesla has not responded to the above questions, nor has it made any official statements about the various restrictions that have previously appeared across China.
At the same time, the automaker has failed to warn Chinese consumers of potential inconveniences they may encounter after purchasing the brand's vehicles.
Some airports, stations, and important facilities in China have been off-limits to Tesla vehicles since 2021, as there have been concerns that data obtained by Tesla's in-car cameras may be transmitted back to the United States.
Particularly amidst tensions between the U.S. and China, some are concerned that data obtained by Tesla in China may be misused and pose a threat to China's national security.
Nonetheless, Tesla remains a highly valued foreign company by the Chinese government, and the most prominent representative of foreign investment in China.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk received a high-profile reception from the Chinese government while visiting China at the end of May.
During his 44-hour visit to China, Musk met intensively with three Chinese ministerial-level officials, having talks with then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, and Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao.
On the same day that the Shandong Highway operator issued its ban, Tesla attended a symposium on foreign-funded financial institutions and enterprises held by the People's Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Together with Tesla, the symposium was attended by foreign financial institutions operating in China such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., HSBC, Deutsche Bank AG, BNP Paribas, UBS Securities and MUFG Bank, as well as foreign enterprises such as BASF SE, Trafigura and Schneider Electric.
