Taiwan’s Foreign Minister delivered a resolute response to Elon Musk’s recent remarks, firmly asserting that Taiwan is “not for sale.” Musk had ventured into the delicate issue of relations between Beijing and Taipei, suggesting that Taiwan was akin to Hawaii as an integral part of China.
This exchange unfolded during the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, where Musk, the entrepreneur behind Tesla, Starlink, and the social media platform X, shared his views. Musk’s commentary on Taiwan’s status ignited a swift response from Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, who took to X to convey his perspective. Wu hoped that Musk could encourage China to “open @X to its people,” highlighting the fact that China restricts access to X, along with other prominent Western social media platforms like Facebook.
Wu also alluded to a previous incident involving Musk’s Starlink satellite network. Last year, Musk had declined a Ukrainian request to activate Starlink in Crimea’s Sevastopol, a decision that was seen as obstructing Ukraine’s actions against Russia’s fleet in the region. Wu’s reference to this incident underscored his point that Musk’s views on global issues can be contentious.
In no uncertain terms, Minister Wu emphasized, “Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC & certainly not for sale!” This statement reaffirmed Taiwan’s steadfast rejection of China’s sovereignty claims. Taiwan, a democracy, maintains that its future should be determined solely by its people.
This is not the first time Elon Musk has found himself embroiled in controversy related to Taiwan. In October of the previous year, he had suggested that tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by ceding some control of Taiwan to Beijing. On that occasion as well, Taiwan had issued a strong rebuke against Musk’s remarks.
Taiwan’s stance on its sovereignty remains clear, and Musk’s comments have once again highlighted the sensitivity of the issue, given the complex relationship between China and Taiwan.
