Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives in China: state media

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in China on Sunday, state media said, the tech billionaire's second trip in less than a year to the world's biggest market for electric vehicles.

"At the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Tesla (US) CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing this afternoon," state broadcaster CCTV said.

State media said Musk met with Ren Hongbin, the head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, "to discuss next steps in cooperation and other topics".

Musk has extensive business interests in China and his most recent visit was in June last year.

Tesla did not respond to AFP's earlier requests for confirmation that Musk was visiting China or share his itinerary for the trip.

The mercurial magnate is a controversial figure in the West, but in China Tesla's electric vehicles have become a staple of middle-class urban life.

Musk's arrival in China coincides with a cut-throat price war between firms desperate to get ahead in the fiercely competitive EV market.

It also comes as Beijing hosts a massive auto show.

China's local car giant BYD -- "Build Your Dreams" -- beat Tesla in last year's fourth quarter to become the world's top seller of EVs.

Tesla reclaimed that title in the first quarter of this year, but BYD remains firmly on top in its home market.