Beijing, Apr 29 (EFE).- American automaker Tesla cleared China's data safety requirements and reached a deal with the country's internet search giant, Baidu, to gain access to its mapping license, paving the way for its self-driving cars in China.

The agreement with Baidu allows Tesla to collect data from China's public roads and also integrate the Chinese company's lane-level navigation system into its vehicles.

The deal removes a key regulatory hurdle for Tesla in introducing self-driving cars in China.

The agreement coincides with Tesla meeting the data safety requirements in the Asian country.

Tesla, along with BYD, Ideal, Lotus, Hezhong New Energy, and NIO, "met the four compliance requirements for automotive data security," the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement on Sunday.

The news comes during Tesla CEO Elon Musk's visit to China, which, according to several sources, is to discuss the carmaker's self-driving tech rollout in the country.

On Sunday, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang called the development of Tesla in the country an example of the successful economic and commercial cooperation between China and the United States.

Musk pointed out that the Tesla factory in Shanghai was the company's best-performing factory worldwide.

The plant, which was opened in 2019, produced more than 710,000 vehicles in 2022 alone.

Over 1.7 million Tesla cars have been sold in China since it entered the country's market a decade ago. EFE

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