Musk backs Beijing’s claim over Taiwan
The world’s richest man sparks outrage by suggesting the self-governing island become a special zone within China, which makes half the world’s Teslas.
Elon Musk has caused fury in Taiwan by suggesting that the self-governing island become a special zone within China.
Musk relies on China to make nearly half the world’s Teslas and his comments align with President Xi’s proposal that the island be annexed under the “one country, two systems” policy.
“People in Taiwan or in no other country will accept the proposal that one democratic country should become a special administration region of a dictatorial regime, as suggested by Musk based purely on investment interests,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said.
“We welcome Mr Musk and other international businesspeople to visit Taiwan to learn about the democracy, freedom, innovation and development in Taiwan, which are starkly different from the dictatorial market system and malicious coercions and suppression under a communist party.”
Qin Gang, China’s ambassador to the US, thanked Musk. “Peaceful reunification and one country, two systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question … and the best approach to realising national reunification,” he said.
Beijing has warned that it will use force if necessary to take the democracy of 23 million people, which it claims as Chinese territory.
The People’s Liberation Army has increased the number of incursions into Taiwan’s air defence. This has inflamed tensions with the US, which has stepped up support for Taipei.
Musk’s intervention, made during an interview with the Financial Times, follows his equally controversial peace plan for Ukraine, which suggested recognising the illegally annexed peninsula of Crimea as part of Russia and holding new referendums in four other occupied territories.
The Times
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