this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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Tesla co-founder previously suggested Taiwan should become a ‘special administrative zone’ in China

Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter, was called out on his platform by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs after calling the island nation an "integral part of China" and insisting that he understands "China well."

Mr Musk made the comments on the "All In" podcast while answering a question about China and the future of his involvement with the nation.

During the interview, Mr Musk said "I think I understand China well," and notes that he's been there several times and has met with high-ranking officials.

He then turns his attention to Taiwan, and compares its relationship to China to Hawaii's relationship to the US, insisting it is "an integral part of China that is arbitrarily not part of China”.

That comparison is flawed in two major ways: first, Hawaii is not a contested region, but is unquestionably a US state with all the same powers and freedoms granted any other US state; second, Taiwan's assertion that it is its own state is not arbitrary, but instead a position it has held for decades.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 152 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

suggested Taiwan should become a ‘special administrative zone’ in China

Yes, because that worked so perfectly for Hong Kong. 🤥

I bet China would embrace such a deal happily even with eager, wait a few years, and then force full integration.

Musk is such an idiot, that I lack words to describe it. He has been convinced (bribed) by China to spew shit in all directions regarding Ukraine and Taiwan, he is 100% an undeclared foreign agent of the worst kind.

[–] dublet@lemmy.world 54 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He has a clear financial interest due the Tesla factories in China and the amount of cars sold there.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, and I bet China is leveraging that, and Musk falls for it.

But I doubt it surpasses USA and Europe combined. Which should be his real interests, and probably would be, if we used similar methods the Chinese do.

[–] dublet@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

According to this Tesla's sales breaks down like this in 2022:

  • 50% USA
  • 25% China
  • 25% Other countries combined

That's a significant chunk of its business.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Yes absolutely, although I see the numbers slightly different:

The graph says USA 41, China 18, other 23 billion USD. That translates to:

  • USA 50%
  • China 22%
  • other 28.

USA is higher than I expected, but still USA and Europe are way more important combined than China from that graph. So maybe Musk shouldn't rely so much on China, if he wants to look out for his own interests.

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[–] jarfil@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (8 children)

then force full integration.

Don't be silly, China is a democratic country... they would hold a vote, like they did with HongKong: 99% for, 1 against. Totally democratic. 🤫

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[–] Hanabie@sh.itjust.works 109 points 1 year ago (3 children)

This guy really doesn't know when and how to shut up.

[–] GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, I think people underestimating Musk is extremely dangerous.

Everyone underestimated Trump too and gave him 24/7 coverage because of how “stupid” he was.

Assume a powerful enemy is intelligent, or you’ll not understand how they got their power and will be perplexed as to how they grow it and how they will abuse it.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm just wondering why the U.S. DoJ isn't doing anything about it.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 36 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Same reason the IRS spends all their time auditing poor people who made mistakes instead of auditing one billionaire for year. The metrics they're graded on aren't based on quality, they're based on quantity. Going after a billionaire is expensive, and sure, it would have lasting positive impact, but they're graded on number of cases closed

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Sure, but poor people aren't having influence over tense geopolitical situations.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 year ago

Exactly my point. We could spend 1 year auditing / investigating 1-2 billionaires and have way more government funding and way less foreign interference, but we don't because the system is working as intended

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[–] RelativeArea0@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Well...this musk person is a well paid shill so...uhm yeah

¯_(ツ)_/¯

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[–] Fapper_McFapper@lemmy.world 54 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I’m just sitting here waiting for Elon to go bald so he can finally come out as Lex Luthor.

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 67 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He already did. Then he paid a bunch of money to get the hair back.

[–] yoz@aussie.zone 13 points 1 year ago

Thats what $200 billion is for

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[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 year ago

He wishes he was Lex Luthor lol

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[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 50 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wow, Musk sure does love licking boots...

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[–] APassenger@lemmy.world 50 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hawaii was occupied and taken. Taiwan was not.

That Mao captured the mainland does not make the island conquered. Or annexed.

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[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 46 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What the fuck is this moron going to say next? "Hitler wasn't all wrong"?

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

He’s gotta take the dunderheaded asshole position on everything apparently. He’d probably be YouTubing from his car right now except he has people fly him everywhere.

[–] generalpotato@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Taking bets on that one soon. I wonder if he is getting brainwashed by his own algos.

[–] alienanimals@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago

Literally every single day we have idiots doing Musk’s PR work for free.

Downvote Musk spam. The billionaire doesn’t need your help ensuring his businesses stay in the 24 hour news cycle.

[–] Chickenstalker@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Taiwan should simply not sell microchips to Muskian companies. Let him use 80s ex Soviet chips instead.

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[–] usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Tesla co-founder? Since when?

[–] dublet@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The company was incorporated as Tesla Motors, Inc. on July 1, 2003, by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.[13][14] Eberhard and Tarpenning served as CEO and CFO, respectively.[15] Eberhard said he wanted to build "a car manufacturer that is also a technology company", with its core technologies as "the battery, the computer software, and the proprietary motor".[16]

Ian Wright was Tesla's third employee, joining a few months later.[13] In February 2004, the company raised US$7.5 million (equivalent to $12 million in 2022) in series A funding, including $6.5 million (equivalent to $10 million in 2022) from Elon Musk, who had received $100 million from the sale of his interest in PayPal two years earlier. Musk became the chairman of the board of directors and the largest shareholder of Tesla.[17][18][15] J. B. Straubel joined Tesla in May 2004 as chief technical officer.[19]

A lawsuit settlement agreed to by Eberhard and Tesla in September 2009 allows all five – Eberhard, Tarpenning, Wright, Musk, and Straubel – to call themselves co-founders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla,_Inc.#Founding_(2003%E2%80%932004)

[–] usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Since 6 years after it was founded.... That's just silly

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[–] 2d4_bears@lemmy.blahaj.zone 36 points 1 year ago

Extreme wealth and a love of authoritarianism, name a more iconic duo.

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 33 points 1 year ago (6 children)

So Elon is basically now acting like a tankie?

This is fucking hillarious.

[–] boredtortoise@lemm.ee 21 points 1 year ago

Elon and false communists both benefit capitalism

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[–] Hackerman_uwu@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Why does this tool have an opinion about absolutely everything?

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's what having too big of an ego do to you

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[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m surprised he was able to say all of that with Xi’s dick in his mouth

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[–] Endorkend@kbin.social 17 points 1 year ago

Didn't he recently say he does everything he can to prevent wars and the like?

Cause this is quite the exact opposite of trying to prevent wars.

[–] Chemical@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Really wish I could figure out how to set up a filter for this POS so I don’t have to keep encountering him.

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[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How do I block articles about him from showing up?

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[–] joneskind@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Wait, what?!

Did that gigantic moron tell Taiwan is part of China???

[–] coffee@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago

He knows who's buying 70% of his cars. And that's not Taiwan.

[–] Moonrise2473@feddit.it 10 points 1 year ago

why not the opposite?

[–] BornVolcano@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Oh COME ON. This guy is actively mocking Taiwan now, too??

Damn it, Muskrat

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[–] TechDiver@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago

Elon should become a special administrative prisoner in some chinese gulag

[–] themagicaldude@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm convinced that this guy gets off of getting his name on articles.

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[–] fosforus@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 year ago

By that logic it's also completely arbitrary that mainland China isn't part of Republic of China.

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