Can Tom Zhu replicate Tesla's China success abroad?
Illustration by Luis Grañena
The most cited detail about Tom Zhu, the Tesla executive who runs the company’s China operations, is that he is extremely hard working — so much so that he slept at the company’s Shanghai Gigafactory during the Covid-19 lockdown to ensure that cars were still coming off the production line.
Zhu himself often references this; describing his team in China, he said, “We leave our families aside, and work day and night.” Nearly every person interviewed for this article also brough
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
Walmart should be in trouble in China, where its competitors are in retreat and its sourcing operations have been criticised by both Beijing and Washington. But the American retailer seems to have found a way forward in a difficult sector and remains one of the biggest benefactors of China-U.S. trade.
The Commerce Department wants to expand export controls to majority-owned subsidiaries of Chinese companies. That could trigger cascading effects — and challenges.
Navigate China's Business Landscape with Confidence.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy