Chinese Ambassador to US Thanks Musk for His Stance on Taiwan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang thanked US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk for his proposal to establish a special administrative zone for Taiwan as a possible solution to the long-standing deadlock between Beijing and Taipei.

"I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan," Qin tweeted.

The ambassador noted that Taiwan would "enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development" if it chose to reunite with China.

In a Friday interview to the Financial Times, Musk proposed establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan, which is "reasonably palatable" and more flexible than in Hong Kong's case, as a peaceful solution for the tensions between mainland China and Taiwan. The billionaire admitted that his proposal would hardly be accepted.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a briefing on Saturday that the problem of Taiwan was China's domestic affair and Beijing would be committed to a peaceful reunification with the island based on the "One country, two systems" principle.

The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Several countries, including France, Lithuania, the United States, Japan and most recently Germany have sent their delegations to the island since then, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous nation but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.