Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been dubbed as "China inbound tourism ambassador" by Chinese netizens after he "highly recommends" a visit to Shanghai in response to photos shared by his mother, Maye Musk, during her latest trip to the city.

Maye Musk posted photos on X on Tuesday, including one showing her posing with a giant teddy bear at an event, others featuring her activities in Shanghai, and one showing the night view of Lujiazui zone from the Bund.

"Second day in Shanghai. Shopping. Dining. View," she wrote. Elon Musk responded in the comments, saying, "Shanghai is a great city. Highly recommend visiting."

The mother was earlier spotted shopping at a Chinese lifestyle store during her visit to Shanghai and had spent thousands of yuan on plush toys and other accessories in collaboration with American cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, a witness revealed, according to media reports.

The exchange soon attracted attention on Chinese social media. One user on RedNote wrote, "Elon Musk is a true inbound tourism ambassador. By the way, Shanghai really is great."

Another suggested that the Shanghai municipal government appoint Elon Musk as a tourism ambassador and recommended that the Musk family to visit places showcasing China's outstanding natural scenery and urban development.

The trip is Maye Musk's second visit to China in less than five months, according to a China Media Group report on Saturday.

Asked about Elon Musk's recent X post saying, "China is awesome. I strongly encourage people to visit," Maye Musk said, "Elon speaks from his heart, and he loves China. So he let people know."

"When I come to China, I do explore a lot, and I do post a lot. So I'm doing China-Maxxing," she told CMG.