Starting on May 24, a “Notice on Disallowing Tesla Vehicles from the Provincial Administrative Center” was circulated online. The notice reads, “Due to a lack of parking spaces and other reasons, starting from May 31, 2021, Tesla vehicles will be disallowed from entering the provincial administrative center. Please notify the staff members in all units.” The “Security Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Administrative Center” signed the notice, which was dated May 21, 2021.
Netizens tended to believe that it was likely an authentic notice, although it has not been confirmed. Two months ago, the Chinese military had already banned Tesla cars from parking in military facilities or dormitory areas.
Wang Aizhong, a political dissident living in Guangzhou, told Radio Free Asia, “Over the years, there has been a sharply rising tide of government-guided nationalist sentiment in China. This includes the boycott of Tesla. Now some government bodies are imposing restrictions on Tesla. This is beyond Tesla’s original expectation when it came to China to set up a factory.”
Staff from at least two government agencies in Beijing and Shanghai received verbal instructions from officials in charge that they should not park Tesla cars in the office areas, Reuters reported on Friday May 21, “As of now, it is unclear whether the ban involves all government agencies or is simply a measure taken by individual officials.”
Recent news of Tesla’s intention to set up factories in Europe suggests that it plans no expansion in China. Media have reported that Tesla is now considering building factories in other parts of the world, including Russia and Germany.
Mr. Jiang, a scholar in Zhejiang, told RFA that the government hopes to obtain Tesla’s advanced technology by introducing the production line. “Learn the technology, copy the technology and then kick them out. Will a company like Tesla repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Let’s wait and see.”
During the Shanghai Auto Show in April, a woman lodged a protest at the Tesla booth. The official media hyped up the incident and blasted Tesla as “bullying the customer.”
Source: Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jingmao/ql2-05252021064552.html