Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s suggestion that Taiwan becomes a Chinese special administrative zone in response to the fragile relationship between the two countries.
China considers the self-ruled island to be part of its territory and insists on unifying it with the mainland, using force if necessary.
What’s happening
The world’s richest man stated that he felt the two countries could strike a “fairly agreeable” agreement. The Chinese ambassador to the United States praised Musk, but his Taiwanese colleague stated that freedom is “not for sale.”
Taiwan is self-governing, although Beijing claims it as part of its territory.
The response.
China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, supported Mr. Musk’s proposal to designate Taiwan as a special administrative zone.
He stated on Twitter that China’s “fundamental principles for settling the Taiwan crisis” are “peaceful reunification” and the “one nation, two systems” model employed in managing Hong Kong.
“As long as China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests are protected, Taiwan will have a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative territory, as well as a huge space for development,” he added.
Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, while responding implied that Taiwan offers numerous items, but their freedom and democracy are not for sale. “Any long-term plan for our future must be made in a calm, non-coercive, and courteous manner. Any enduring idea for our future must be determined amicably”.
Why do China and Taiwan have such strained relations?
China considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory and insists on unifying it with the mainland, using force if necessary. The island has its own constitution, democratically elected officials, and a military force of approximately 300,000 active personnel.
Taiwan is only recognized by a few nations. Instead, most people recognize the Chinese government in Beijing. The United States has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but a law mandates it to supply the island with the tools to defend itself.