Elon Musk slammed for suggesting Taiwan be made special administrative zone of China

TAIPEI: A suggestion by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk that Taiwan could be made a special administrative zone of China has provoked a backlash both from China and the self-governing island.

Musk's comment not only infringes national sovereignty but also harms democracy, Democratic Progressive Party Spokesperson Huang Tsai-lin said on Saturday, reported Taiwan News.

China's state-run Central Television News issued an article titled, "Musk steps out of line in discussing China's Taiwan issue, Foreign Ministry responds."

The article reported that during a routine press conference held by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spokesperson Mao Ning responded to a question about Musk's "inappropriate statement."

Mao claimed in her answer that "the Taiwan issue is China's domestic politics." She added that China will "resolutely suppress interference by foreign forces," a familiar statement often used in Chinese propaganda which, in this case, appears to refer to Musk, reported Taiwan News.

Meanwhile, Huang said Musk does not condemn the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) misconduct, but he instead "caters to the threat of the aggressor by sacrificing Taiwan's independence, completely ignoring the limitless ambitions of authoritarian rulers."

In a Friday (October 7) interview with the Financial Times titled, "Elon Musk: 'Aren't you entertained?'" the world's richest man admitted to being a fan of China.

He recommended figuring out "a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable" and "more lenient than Hong Kong."

The statement immediately sparked outrage in Taiwan, with politicians from major political parties including the Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, New Power Party, and Taiwan People's Party issuing statements denouncing Musk's remarks, reported Taiwan News.

Most agreed that Musk is largely driven by the business interests and stakes he has in China and therefore holds a subjective view of cross-strait issues.

The CCP's series of actions in recent years include conducting military exercises around Taiwan after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, establishing a military base in the South China Sea to expand its sphere of influence, and influencing the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations.

Huang said the actions of the CCP threaten global and regional peace and stability and have caused the US, 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.