Title: Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Rejects Elon Musk’s Assertion on China’s Control
Subtitle: Musk’s comments spark another controversy surrounding Taiwan-China relations
Date: September 14, 2023
TAIPEI – In a firm response to Elon Musk’s remarks regarding Taiwan’s status, the island’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, declared that Taiwan is “not for sale.” The billionaire’s assertion that Taiwan is an integral part of China has reignited the long-standing dispute between Beijing and Taipei.
Musk, who owns the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the electric car company Tesla, and the Starlink satellite network, made these comments during the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, which were uploaded to YouTube this week.
During the summit, Musk compared Beijing’s policy on Taiwan to that of Hawaii, stating that China considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory, despite the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s interference preventing any forceful reunification efforts.
Responding to Musk’s remarks on X, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu expressed hope that Musk could persuade China to allow its citizens access to the platform. China currently blocks X, along with other major Western social media platforms like Facebook.
Wu further criticized Musk’s decision to refuse a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite network in Crimea’s port city of Sevastopol last year. He suggested that Musk’s banning of X and refusal to aid Ukraine in countering Russia’s fleet in Crimea’s port city of Sevastopol reflects a pattern of questionable policies.
“Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC and certainly not for sale!” Wu asserted, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan’s democratically elected government vehemently rejects China’s sovereignty claims and emphasizes that only the people of Taiwan have the right to decide their future.
This is not the first time Musk’s comments have drawn strong criticism from Taiwan. In October of last year, he suggested that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by transferring control of Taiwan to Beijing, leading to a similar reprimand from Taiwan.
Musk’s latest remarks have once again highlighted the sensitivities and complexities surrounding Taiwan-China relations. The dispute remains a contentious issue, with no resolution in sight.
Refiling of this story adds the word “of” in paragraph 1.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Stephen Coates