Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is making plans to visit China as early as April and is seeking a meeting with China's Premier Li Qiang, two people with knowledge of planning for the trip told Reuters.

Tesla and China's State Council Information Office did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

China is Tesla's second-largest market after the United States and its Shanghai plant is the electric carmaker's largest production hub.

A visit by Musk would mark the first time he has visited China since the COVID-19 pandemic and since Xi Jinping secured a third term as China's president. (Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Editing by Tom Hogue)