Elon Musk has heaped praise on China and invited everyone to see it for themselves. "China is awesome. I strongly encourage people to visit," he said. 

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was responding to an ARK Invest podcast titled "Tesla may not need China anymore." His public praise for the country spoke louder than any rebuttal.

His mother, Maye Musk, chimed in with her own take: "I agree. Each city has its own charm with different cultural sites to see. Buildings and streets are clean and in good repair. Also, people are polite, hard-working, and respectful. I feel safe, so I enjoy going to China."

She speaks from experience, having extensively toured multiple Chinese cities. Elon himself has been traveling to China since 2014, most recently in May. 

More people are taking him up on it. China saw 17.8 million visa-free entries by foreign nationals in the first half of 2026, up 30.6% from the same period last year.