Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview
Tesla CEO also praised China's prosperity and the Shanghai factory team.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
El director ejecutivo de Tesla y SpaceX, Elon MuskSusan Walsh / Ap-LaPresse
Photograph: La Vanguardia (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Elon Musk called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "great leader" in an interview with Chinese state television CCTV.
- Musk stated that China has prospered immensely under Xi Jinping's leadership.
- He also praised Tesla's Shanghai factory and its team.
- Musk is expected to attend a White House dinner in honour of Xi Jinping, hosted by Donald Trump.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 21 of the 34 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
41/100
34 sources · methodology
Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla, described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "great leader" during an interview with Chinese state television CCTV. Musk stated that China has prospered immensely under Xi's leadership, citing visible progress in new buildings and infrastructure. He also commented on the increased prosperity of the average Chinese citizen. Musk praised Tesla's Shanghai factory, calling it "a gem" and "beautiful," and described the team there as "incredibly talented, hardworking and trustworthy."
The interview took place ahead of a planned meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Musk is expected to attend a state dinner at the White House hosted by Trump in honour of Xi. This meeting is described as the second summit this year between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.
Coverage comparison
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated digests mention the specific date of the interview with CCTV, which La Vanguardia states was on Wednesday. None of the right-rated digests mention the specific date of the interview with CCTV, which La Vanguardia states was on Wednesday.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 23 Sept 2026, 10:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
2 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on Elon Musk's praise for Xi Jinping, with La Vanguardia and Hot News both highlighting Musk's description of Xi as a "great leader." Both outlets also reported Musk's statement that "China has prospered enormously" under Xi's leadership. La Vanguardia also included details about Tesla's Shanghai factory and its team, as well as mentioning Musk's expected attendance at a White House dinner.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports from Devdiscourse, Reuters, and The Economic Times led with Elon Musk calling Xi Jinping a "great leader" in his interview with Chinese state television. These reports also included Musk's comments on China's immense prosperity under Xi's tenure and his praise for Tesla's Shanghai factory and its team. Digi 24 also reported these points, quoting Reuters as its source.
Right
7 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports from topwar.ru, Iefimerida, Times Live, India Today, Protothema, Reformatorisch Dagblad, and Times of India all highlighted Elon Musk's praise for Xi Jinping, describing him as a "great leader." These reports also noted Musk's comments on China's prosperity under Xi and his positive remarks about Tesla's Shanghai factory. Iefimerida and Protothema specifically mentioned Musk's expected attendance at a White House dinner in Xi's honour.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 15% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 54% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 34. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 15% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 54% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview biased?
- Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview is one event reported by 34 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Elon Musk calls Xi Jinping a 'great leader' in China interview?
- 34 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Elon Musk say about Xi Jinping?
- Elon Musk described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "great leader" in an interview with Chinese state television CCTV. He also stated that China has prospered immensely under Xi's leadership and praised the country's progress.
- What did Musk say about Tesla in China?
- Elon Musk praised Tesla's Shanghai factory, calling it "a gem" and "beautiful." He also described the team at the factory as "incredibly talented, hardworking and trustworthy."
- When did this interview take place?
- La Vanguardia reported that the interview with Chinese state television CCTV took place on Wednesday. Other reports do not specify the date of the interview.
- What is the significance of the upcoming White House dinner?
- Elon Musk is expected to attend a state dinner at the White House hosted by US President Donald Trump in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This event marks a significant meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.
Read it at the source
34 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
2Centre
4- Elon Musk, Praises Xi Jinping in an Interview for Chinese State Television: "Extraordinary Leader (opens Digi 24 in a new tab)
- Musk praises Xi as great leader in interview with Chinese state television (opens Devdiscourse in a new tab)
Devdiscourse — is Devdiscourse biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk praises Xi as great leader in interview with Chinese state television (opens Reuters in a new tab)
- Elon Musk praises Xi Jinping as great leader in interview with Chinese state television (opens The Economic Times in a new tab)
The Economic Times — is The Economic Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
7- "Great Leader": Ilon Musk Praised Xi Jinping's Leadership in China (opens topwar.ru in a new tab)
- "Great Leader": Elon Musk's Compliments to Chinese President Xi Just Before Dinner at the White House - iefimerida.gr (opens Iefimerida in a new tab)
Iefimerida — is Iefimerida biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tesla’s Musk praises Xi as great leader in interview with Chinese state TV (opens Times Live in a new tab)
Times Live — is Times Live biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk praises China's Xi Jinping, calls him a great leader (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk Idolizes Xi Jinping: "Great Leader, He Has Brought Enormous Prosperity to China" (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Praises Chinese President Xi Ahead of US State Visit (opens Reformatorisch Dagblad in a new tab)
Reformatorisch Dagblad — is Reformatorisch Dagblad biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk praises Xi Jinping as great leader in interview with Chinese state television (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
21- Musk Praises the Quality of Tesla's Shanghai Factory and Its Chinese Team (opens i-cable.com in a new tab)
i-cable.com — is i-cable.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk: Xi Jinping Is a Great Leader (opens dnews.gr in a new tab)
dnews.gr — is dnews.gr biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Musk Praised Xi Jinping: "Under His Presidency, China Has Experienced Tremendous Prosperity" (opens parapolitika.gr in a new tab)
parapolitika.gr — is parapolitika.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Is All Praise for Xi Before Dinner with Trump at the White House - "He's a Great Leader" (opens CNN Greece in a new tab)
CNN Greece — is CNN Greece biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Praises Xi: Great Leader – China Has Experienced Immense Prosperity (opens Reporter.gr in a new tab)
Reporter.gr — is Reporter.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk Praised Xi Jinping: "He Is a Great Leader, China Is Experiencing Tremendous Prosperity Under His Presidency" (opens OnAlert in a new tab)
- Elon Musk: Praise for Xi Jinping – "Great Leader, Brought Enormous Prosperity to China" (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Elon Musk Praises Xi Jinping in an Interview with State Television in China: He Is "an Extraordinary leader." (opens Libertatea.ro in a new tab)
Libertatea.ro — is Libertatea.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 13 more
- Elon Musk lavdëron Xi Jinping: Një lider i shquar, Kina ka njohur lulëzim të jashtëzakonshëm (opens albeu.com in a new tab)
- Elon Musk Praised Xi Jinping: "He Is a Great Leader" (opens Newsit.gr in a new tab)
- Elon Musk Praises Chinese President Xi Jinping: "He's a Great Leader" | Pandora's Box (opens koutipandoras.gr in a new tab)
koutipandoras.gr — is koutipandoras.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk Called Xi Jinping an ‘Extraordinary Leader': ‘Under His Leadership, China Has Experienced Immense Prosperity' (opens antena3.ro in a new tab)
antena3.ro — is antena3.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk: "Xi Jinping Is a Great Leader" - Praise for China and Tesla (opens insider.gr in a new tab)
insider.gr — is insider.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Praises Chinese President Xi Ahead of US State Visit (opens welingelichtekringen.nl in a new tab)
welingelichtekringen.nl — is welingelichtekringen.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Praises Chinese President Xi Ahead of US State Visit (opens Nieuws.nl in a new tab)
- Elon Musk: Xi Jinping Is a "Great Leader" - "Under His Presidency, China Has Experienced Enormous Prosperity" (opens Naftemporiki in a new tab)
Naftemporiki — is Naftemporiki biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Mask on Xi: He Is a Great Leader (opens Documento in a new tab)
Documento — is Documento biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Musk: He Praised Chinese President Xi, Calling Him a "Great Leader" (opens sofokleousin.gr in a new tab)
sofokleousin.gr — is sofokleousin.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Elon Musk: "Xi Jinping Is a Great Leader" – Praise for China and Tesla (opens ertnews.gr in a new tab)
ertnews.gr — is ertnews.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Musk Called Xi a "Great Leader" in CCTV Interview (opens Business Daily in a new tab)
Business Daily — is Business Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- In an Exclusive Interview with CCTV Ahead of the Trump-Xi Meeting, Musk Called Xi Jinping a "Great leader." (opens rti.org.tw in a new tab)
rti.org.tw — is rti.org.tw biased? Our profile of this outlet
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