TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) slammed Elon Musk's recent comments describing the nation as an "integral part of China" on Thursday (Sept. 14).
Musk drew comparisons between Taiwan and Hawaii, claiming it's an "integral part of China" during a TV interview.
To this, Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs first took to Musk's newly acquired social media site "X" (previously known as "Twitter") to rebuke his statements, emphasizing Taiwan is not for sale.
MOFA later made an official statement in which MOFA Spokesperson Jeff Liu remarked, "Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China."
"Musk ignores China's lack of freedom of speech and internet restrictions, along with the continued inability of Chinese people to access social media sites like 'X,'" he continued.
The spokesperson later added, "We're not clear if Elon Musk's free will is for sale, but Taiwan is not for sale, that's for sure."
Taiwanese economics expert Cyrus Hsieh later explained the "X" CEO may have issued the statement in consideration of his business ties with China.
"China can function without Elon Musk and Tesla, but Musk and Tesla rely on China," Hsieh said.