Definitely, Elon Musk has a very clear opinion on the international political situation, and his remarks never go unnoticed. After his controversial statements on the war in Ukraine, the billionaire has just spoken on the tensions between Taiwan and China. He forced the diplomatic representatives of the two countries to react.
In an interview given to FinancialTimesthe leader of Tesla explained: “ My recommendation… would be to find a special administrative area for Taiwan that is reasonably acceptable, which probably won’t make everyone happy. And it’s possible, and I think it’s even likely, that they could have a more lenient arrangement than Hong Kong’s “.
Elon Musk’s remarks spark a diplomatic battle
It should be remembered here that the authorities of Taiwan have long since declared their independence from China. However, the Middle Kingdom has never recognized it and considers the island as a territory to return to it.
Inevitably, the position of Elon Musk made the representatives of the two countries react. On Twitter, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang applauded with both hands: 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 development space. “.
Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s ambassador to Washington, strongly disagrees, and she also reacted on Twitter: Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale. Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, without coercion, and with respect for the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan. “.
It is important to remember that Elon Musk is probably not as neutral as he seems in this opposition. We know that the entrepreneur is very dependent on the production of his gigafactory in Shanghai, and that he therefore has every interest in remaining on good terms with the Chinese authorities.
Last week, Elon Musk went off the rails on Twitter asking his 108 million followers to vote on exit scenarios to end the war in Ukraine. He proposed, among other things, to cede territory to Russia. It was no longer necessary to arouse the anger of the Ukrainian authorities. We can also see that a large part of Internet users supported the country of Volodymyr Zelensky in the comments.