Elon Musk praised China’s “vitality and promise” on Wednesday, Beijing said, during a trip to the Chinese capital in which he has met multiple government officials and reportedly declared he will expand his business there.

The mercurial tycoon, one of the world’s richest men, is on his first trip to China in more than three years.

He met commerce minister Wang Wentao on Wednesday, praising “the vitality and potential of China’s development”, according to a ministry readout.

Musk “expressed full confidence in the China market, and was willing to continue deepening mutually beneficial cooperation”, a readout of the meeting said.