Tesla starts Model 3 delivery in China earlier than expected

BEIJING (Reuters) - Tesla Inc on Friday said it had started delivering Model 3 cars in China, slightly ahead of schedule.

The U.S. car marker said in a statement that it held a delivery event in Beijing on Friday, which it said "marked a significant milestone for the market". The firm had said in January that Model 3 deliveries in China would begin in March.

The California-based firm has been aiming to accelerate Chinese sales that have been hit hard by the impact of Sino-U.S. trade tensions. It has adjusted prices of its U.S.-made cars in China to make them affordable.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar)