Dozens of yellow and red robotic arms move swiftly and silently as they assemble the latest range of Tesla electric cars.A white sheet of spray paint is then applied before the vehicles move to the final stage of manufacturing ready to be rolled out of Elon Musk’s gigafactory in Shanghai.

From electric cars to solar panels, Mr. Musk has built businesses in high-tech manufacturing sectors now targeted by Beijing for Chinese dominance.

The pair have been inseparable since the election, with Mr Musk accompanying Mr Trump to Washington to meet Republicans in Congress and Mr Trump heading to Texas with Mr Musk to watch a test flight of a rocket built by SpaceX,