Taiwan slammed business tycoon Elon Musk for harming democracy and threatening national security for his widely publicised proposal to make Taiwan a special administrative zone like Hong Kong in order to resolve the conflict with China.
On Friday, in an interview with Financial Times (FT) titled “Elon Musk: ‘Aren’t you entertained?’,” Musk said that his “recommendation” for the Taiwan issue “would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable.” He admitted that his suggestion “probably won’t make everyone happy,” but noted, “It’s possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that’s more lenient than Hong Kong.”
The spokesperson of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Huang Tsai-lin, criticised Musk on Saturday for not condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) misconduct. The spokesperson said that Musk “caters to the threat of the aggressor by sacrificing Taiwan’s independence, completely ignoring the limitless ambitions of authoritarian rulers,” adding that “such a proposal would only repeat the mistake of ‘appeasement’ of the pre-World War II era.”
Huang said the actions of the CCP “threaten global and regional peace and stability” and have caused the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and “other nations” to “pay more attention to such behaviour and jointly condemn them.” “The tension in the Taiwan Strait is entirely caused by the CCP’s desire to unilaterally change the status quo,” she argued.
Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale. Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan.
— Bi-khim Hsiao 蕭美琴 (@bikhim) October 8, 2022
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during her regular press conference on Saturday that Musk’s comments were “unacceptable,” as “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair.”
However, Mao conceded that “Provided that national sovereignty, security and development interests are ensured, Taiwan can adopt a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region.” She added that the island’s “social system and its way of life will be fully respected” and that its “lawful rights and interests… will be fully protected.”
She also said that Beijing “welcomed” Musk’s “understanding and support” for China’s reunification, which she stated “will not undermine any country’s legitimate interests” but will “only bring more development opportunities to other countries and inject more positive energy into the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.”
..and the best approach to realizing national reunification. Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development.
— Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022
Mao also dismissed the DPP’s remarks as having “no merit.” “Whatever the DPP authorities say, they cannot change the basic fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Mao asserted.
Mao’s gratitude was also shared by China’s ambassador to the US, Qin Gang. In a Twitter post on Sunday, the diplomat said that he “would like to thank” Musk “for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan.” He added that “the rights and interests of the people in Taiwan will be fully protected, and both sides of the Taiwan Strait will share the glory of national rejuvenation.”
Ukraine-Russia Peace:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.
- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
- Water supply to Crimea assured.
- Ukraine remains neutral.
Against this backdrop, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday vowed that the island would fight for regional stability and peace with “like-minded partners.” In a speech celebrating the Double Ten National Day celebrations, Tsai declared, “The world has seen Taiwan’s tenacity and determination to safeguard democracy and freedom.” She added that “creating a country with tenacity” is the main agenda for the rest of her term, including “building stronger industries, a more thorough social security net, a better democratic and free system as well as greater national security capabilities.”
Musk, meanwhile, has also courted controversy over his proposal to resolve the Ukraine-Russia war, wherein he has suggested that Russia should be allowed to maintain control of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and that the annexation of four additional regions this month—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—should be put to the test in internationally-moderated referendums. He also said Ukraine should take up a neutral status and shelve its objective of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.