Craig Allen, president of the US-China Business Council and a former US official, said Li sought to level the playing field for foreign businesses, pointing to the speed with which US carmaker Tesla was able to get its Shanghai factory there operational in 2019. "Clearly nothing got in the way once a decision was made. There was a clarity of a kind in his decision making, an authority, and that really helps," said Allen, describing Li as comfortable in his own skin.