Business
How China Bent Over Backward to Help Tesla When the Virus Hit
- Tesla received masks, disinfectant to allow it to resume work
- Local support is helping Tesla make inroads in Chinese market
Workers walk through the Tesla Inc. Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, on Feb. 17, 2020.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
After the coronavirus outbreak caused a nationwide shortage of face masks in January, Chinese officials were quick to ensure that Tesla Inc. wouldn’t be left without.
China’s government helped the California-based carmaker secure the sought-after supplies that allowed it to reopen at a time when many of its competitors were still shut down. Tesla received 10,000 masks, cases of disinfectant that require a government permit, thermometers and other materials that allowed the company to restart its factory near Shanghai the first working day after the extended Lunar New Year break, according to state-run media.