Tesla has rebutted reports that the US carmaker has partnered with Chinese tech giant Baidu to improve its assisted driving system in China, clarifying that they have allied only on map navigation, according to Shanghai Securities News.

The reports about Tesla working with Baidu to improve the Full Self-Driving system in China are false, Shanghai Securities News reported today, citing the Texas-based automaker.

According to online reports, Tesla os working with Baidu to leverage its advanced mapping technology, with the Beijing-based company dispatching a team dedicated to integrating its map data with FSD version 13 to help it better adapt to local road conditions.

Tesla has been working to eliminate obstacles to its assisted driving system entering China for many years. In January 2020, the company jointly announced with Baidu that it would switch its map data service provider to Baidu Maps, relaunching its navigation system based on the new service.

In terms of data security, Tesla established a data center in Shanghai to enable localized data storage in 2021.

According to a report by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the National Internet Emergency Center on the security requirements for car data released on April 28 last year, all models produced at the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai were in compliance. It was the only compliant foreign firm in that batch.

On Feb. 25, Tesla took the first step in introducing FSD to China after making an over-the-air software update to autos, enhancing its Navigate on Autopilot driver-assistance system with FSD features such as autopilot for urban roads.