Beijing tells Elon Musk to stay out of China's domestic affairs

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Oct 2022 17:17

In an interview for Financial Times, Musk proposes a solution to the Taiwan conflict to which he himself admitted that Beijing will hardly accept.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Following a provoking interview for the Financial Times in which Elon Musk predicted that the Taiwan conflict is inevitable and that the conflict could be resolved with the establishment of a special administrative zone for Taiwan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Saturday that the issue of Taiwan concerns only China's domestic affairs.

He stressed that Beijing will continue to work toward a peaceful reunification with the island based on the principle of "one country, two systems."

In his interview on Friday, Musk said, "My recommendation . . . would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won’t make everyone happy. And it’s possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that’s more lenient than Hong Kong."

Following these statements, Ning said during a press briefing on Saturday, "Firstly, the issue of Taiwan is a domestic affair of China. China's position on this issue is consequent and clear. We will be committed to the major course for peaceful reunification and to the principle of one country and two systems."

Ning added that Beijing will oppose any interference or external intervention that would cause Taiwan to separate from China and will strive to defend the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Most recent updates reveal that tensions are further mounting between China and the US in light of US President Joe Biden's recent warnings that US soldiers would defend Taiwan if China "intervened".

Soon after the outrageous remarks were delivered, the Chinese military went on high alert on September 21 following the passage of US and Canadian warships in the Taiwan strait which pretentiously claimed they were legally sailing in international waters.

On September 22, US banks threatened to withdraw funds from China if Beijing were to attack Taiwan, then on September 27, Former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo landed in Taiwan to discuss business with Taiwanese entrepreneurs, and on October 3, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said reaffirmed the US commitment to assist Taiwan in "developing the capability to defend itself" against what he called a “Chinese invasion”.

In early September, the Biden administration approved providing Taiwan with a weapons package - the sixth of its kind - worth $1.1 billion, but a recent New York Times report states that further packages are underway.

On Friday, the Bureau of Industry and Security published a drafted federal registry note which stated that thirty-one Chinese companies and entities were added to the US Department of Commerce in its "unverified" export control list, the majority being specialized in the production of biotechnologies and scientific research

The inclusion of these Chinese companies and entities to the "unverified" list could therefore signify an important step toward their blacklisting, especially in light of Biden's campaign to punish China economically over its continued cooperation with Russia.