Musk Warned Against Meddling in China's Domestic Affairs After Floating Taiwan Plan

Tech tycoon Elon Musk earlier unveiled his plan of how to settle differences between mainland China and Taiwan in an interview for the Financial Times, suggesting handing over some control of the breakaway Chinese province to Beijing.

Taiwan is a "domestic affair" and China will continue to adhere to the principle of peaceful reunification with its breakaway province, while "resolutely smashing" Taiwanese separatism, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Saturday at a press briefing.

Ning was responding to a question about recent statements made by Elon Musk. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO had given his take on how to douse inflamed China-Taiwan tensions.

The tech tycoon, whose Tesla electric car company operates a large factory in Shanghai, was giving an interview to the Financial Times. Musk told journalist Roula Khalaf that he thought the conflict over the breakaway Chinese province backed by the US could disrupt the supply of goods made in China to the West, resulting in the global economy contracting by 30 percent.

"Apple would be in very deep trouble, that’s for sure," Musk predicted, adding that the Tesla factory in Shanghai would only be able to sell cars inside China in that case.

The world's richest man went a step further and expounded on his own plan for how to settle differences between Beijing and Taipei, conceding that it "probably won’t make everyone happy."

"My recommendation... would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable… And it’s possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that’s more lenient than Hong Kong," Elon Musk said.

Taiwan - governed independently since breaking from mainland China in 1949 - is regarded by Beijing as an inalienable part of its territory. China's official policy envisions a peaceful unification of Taiwan with mainland China. However, Taipei has persistently rejected Beijing’s proposal for "one country, two systems."

US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the "One-China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances" during a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2021. Nevertheless, Washington has continued to openly send military aid to Taiwan, despite the two having no formal relations.

US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi sparked a new crisis between China and Taiwan in early August when she flew to the island on a US Air Force jet in a show of support for the breakaway region.

'Public Diplomacy' Bout

Earlier, South African-born US citizen Musk created quite a stir earlier, angering Ukraine’s president with another dose of “public diplomacy,” as he proposed his own solution for ending the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

“Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people. Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake). Water supply to Crimea assured. Ukraine remains neutral… This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end – just a question of how many die before then. Also worth noting that a possible, albeit unlikely, outcome from this conflict is nuclear war,” Musk tweeted on October 3.

The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the Russian-administered areas of Kherson and Zaporozhye joined Russia after their leaders signed accession agreements in the Kremlin on September 30. The territories became part of Russia after territorial status referendums were held on September 23-27.

As for Crimea, it joined Russia after a referendum in March 2014 in which an overwhelming majority of residents similarly voted in favor of doing so. Elon Musk included a poll in his original post, offering followers to vote on his “peace plan.”

Ukraine-Russia Peace:

- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.

- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).

- Water supply to Crimea assured.

- Ukraine remains neutral.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022

Musk's tweet infuriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who responded with his own poll on Twitter, asking which Elon Musk social media users like more, “one who supports Ukraine, or supports Russia?”

Over the past few months, the South African-born billionaire has repeatedly weighed in on the crisis in Ukraine and voiced concerns about the prospect of World War III breaking out.