Why a Huawei executive pushed for Tesla's self-driving tech to enter China

What happens when a direct competitor publicly argues for your product to be let into the country? At the launch of the new Mengshi M817 — a rugged electric SUV co-developed with Huawei — the company’s Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU CEO, Jin Yuzhi, dropped a revealing anecdote.

The M817, which went on sale June 27 starting at RMB 299,900 (around $41,400), packs Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 autonomous driving system with an optional 896-line LiDAR. But the hardware reveal wasn’t the day’s most interesting moment.

Jin told the audience that over a year ago, when Chinese government agencies were investigating whether Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system should be permitted in China, he attended the relevant meetings. His position was unambiguous: he supported FSD’s entry as soon as possible.

It’s an unusual stance for a top executive at a company that competes directly with Tesla in both EVs and autonomous driving technology. Huawei’s Qiankun ADS series is one of the most advanced production-level ADAS systems available in China today, and the company has been aggressively pushing its in-car tech across multiple automaker partnerships. Publicly waving in a rival’s competing system suggests either genuine conviction that competition sharpens the field, or confidence that Huawei’s own technology can hold its own.

Jin didn’t elaborate on his reasoning, but the broader picture adds context. Tongji University professor Zhu Xichan told Shanghai Securities News that Tesla’s FSD rollout in China is accelerating. The company has been recruiting autonomous driving test technicians in multiple Chinese cities — real-world validation roles that typically precede regulatory submission. After testing is complete, the data goes to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and once confirmed, the system could be pushed to Tesla owners in China.

This isn’t hypothetical anymore. The groundwork is being laid. Tesla has been preparing FSD for China for years, navigating regulatory hurdles around data security and map data collection. Recent months have shown clear movement. Testing teams are being staffed up, local hiring is underway — and now a major competitor’s executive has gone on record in support.

Whether FSD actually launches in China this year or next remains an open question. But the signal from within the industry is that the door — once firmly shut — is now swinging open.