Tesla CEO Elon Musk caught attention at a high-profile dinner in China, not for business talks but for the faces he was making. The moment stood out during a formal state dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, May 14.
During the event, Musk was seen pulling different facial expressions while seated among global leaders and business figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook. His expressions quickly became a talking point, especially after he himself shared the video on his X handle.
The video posted by Musk showed him making multiple faces, which grabbed attention online and added a lighter moment to an otherwise formal diplomatic event.
Watch Video Here:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2026
Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX, is part of a delegation that travelled with US President Donald Trump to China. The group also includes Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to Reuters.
It remains unclear why Musk joined Trump on this visit, but he has travelled to China before. In 2023, he praised the country’s technological growth and visited Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai. That visit marked his first trip to China in three years, with the country being one of Tesla’s most important markets for sales and production, as reported by CNBC.
Musk’s presence in China this week, along with other major tech leaders, led Xi to say that his country’s door will only open wider for US businesses, reported USA Today. Xi said China welcomes the United States to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China and expressed belief that US companies will enjoy even broader prospects in China, according to Xinhua.
During the visit, Trump said he had made fantastic trade deals with Xi Jinping as the two met for final talks of a major summit. He added that the meeting has also resulted in a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump arrived in Beijing aiming to finalise deals in areas such as agriculture, aviation, and artificial intelligence, while also addressing tensions between the two countries, including issues related to the Middle East war.
Trump described Xi as a great leader and friend, but his approach has been met with more muted responses from the Chinese leader.
