Taiwan had a heated message for Elon Musk after he appeared to pick a side in the China-Taiwan controversy: “Listen up, #Taiwan is not part of the #PRC & certainly not for sale!”
Musk made waves Tuesday at the All-In Summit 2023 when he stated that Taiwan is “an integral part of China” and noted China’s policy to “reunite” with Taiwan, placing blame on the United States for “stopp[ing] any sort of reunification effort” in the East China Sea.
REPUBLICAN THREAT BECOMES REAL FOR BIDEN AFTER IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
Musk’s comments struck a nerve with Taiwan and its supporters due to the island nation’s push for economic and political independence.
Taiwan’s official Ministry of Foreign Affairs account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted the Musk rebuke Wednesday morning — further criticizing the SpaceX CEO for preventing a Ukrainian counter-strike on Russia by turning off Starlink satellite internet. The account also pointed out the irony that X is officially blocked in China.
Hope @elonmusk can also ask the #CCP to open @X to its people. Perhaps he thinks banning it is a good policy, like turning off @Starlink to thwart #Ukraine’s counterstrike against #Russia. Listen up, #Taiwan is not part of the #PRC & certainly not for sale! JW https://t.co/HEhyTYYXFp
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) ?? (@MOFA_Taiwan) September 13, 2023
In his appearance at the All-In Summit 2023, Musk discussed various political topics ranging from criticism of the Anti-Defamation League to foreign relations. He issued a warning to the United States, comparing the “increasing” military capabilities of China to the “static” capabilities of the U.S.
Musk noted that China’s military strength will exceed the United States’s in the “not too distant future,” and that “force will be used to incorporate Taiwan and China.”
Supporting Taiwan’s independence from China has been a flash point as China has grown increasingly aggressive toward Taiwan. Chinese officials have said they want the military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
Former President Donald Trump claimed on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show that there is “zero chance” China will invade Taiwan if he becomes president again. Conversely, GOP hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy refused to commit to drawing a “red line” around Taiwan. He proposed “deter[ing] until we have achieved semiconductor independence.”
Taiwan currently produces 60% of the world’s semiconductor chips and 90% of the most advanced chips used for artificial intelligence. It is also the United States’s tenth-largest trading partner.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The current tensions between China and Taiwan stem from the Chinese Civil War that ended in 1949, when the Republic of China lost control of the mainland and had to flee to the island of Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China has been the ruling government ever since, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
The Chinese Communist Party established the “One China Principle,” which does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country and seeks to reunite politically some day, even if by force.
