Elon Musk's selfie photo op during China visit goes viral

Elon Musk was spotted pulling faces at a state dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, May 14.

The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder is part of the delegation traveling with President Donald Trump to China, which also includes Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook, Reuters reported.

Trump previously said he's in China for an "incredible gathering of the world’s greatest businessmen/women" and a face-to-face meeting with Xi.

“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level,” Trump wrote in a May 12 Truth Social post.

During the dinner, which featured China's national dish, Beijing roast duck, as well as beef ribs, Musk was spotted taking selfies, rolling his eyes and making other faces.

Social media clips of the moment have gone viral. See it below.

Watch Musk 'pulling faces' at state dinner

Why is Elon Musk in China with Trump?

It's unclear why Musk traveled with Trump to China, but the billionaire has visited before, including in 2023, when he praised the country’s technological developments and visited Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai. The 2023 visit was Musk's first in three years, as China has become one of Tesla's most vital markets for sales and production, according to CNBC.

Musk's presence in China this week, along with his tech mogul counterparts, led to Xi saying that his country's "door will only open wider" for U.S. businesses, state-backed newspaper Xinhua reports.

"Xi said China welcomes the United States to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and expressed belief that U.S. companies will enjoy even broader prospects in China," according to the outlet.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].