Tech innovator and billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy and fierce blowback this week after he offered up a proposed solution to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine that was viewed as far too favorable toward Russian interests.
Amid the sharp criticism, it appeared that Musk was also threatened by a prominent member of the Chinese communist regime’s state-run media, who asserted that Musk would be “taught a lesson,” Fox News reported.
The thinly-veiled threat against Musk’s life came from Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of China’s Global Times, who had also issued threats against the life and freedom of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in July ahead of her visit to Taiwan.
Musk offers proposal to end war between Russia and Ukraine
On Monday, Musk posted to Twitter a poll on his proposed solution for the Russia-Ukraine conflict that contained four major elements: United Nations-supervised referendum elections in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, a guaranteed water supply for Crimea, and a guarantee that Ukraine remain neutral and not join NATO.
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
“This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end — just a question of how many die before then,” he added in a pair of follow-up tweets. “Also worth noting that a possible, albeit unlikely, outcome from this conflict is nuclear war.”
“He will be taught a lesson”
The poll did not go particularly well for Musk, as nearly 60 percent of the more than 2.7 million Twitter accounts that voted selected “No,” and the comments were full of replies that denounced and rejected the idea.
The next day, Hu Xijin shared a screenshot of Musk’s poll and cryptically wrote, “Elon Musk has released his personality too much, and he believes too much in the US and West’s ‘freedom of speech.’ He will be taught a lesson.”
Elon Musk has released his personality too much, and he believes too much in the US and West’s “freedom of speech.” He will be taught a lesson. pic.twitter.com/nv4VU7rFIv
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) October 4, 2022
Though it was not entirely clear exactly what sort of “lesson” Hu believed Musk should be taught, Fox News noted that the message from the Chinese communist regime’s mouthpiece evoked similarities to his prior threats that Pelosi should be arrested and detained by the Chinese government, if not shot down by the Chinese military, for her visit to the independent island nation of Taiwan, which China has long claimed is Chinese territory.
Proposal rejected by Ukraine, accepted by Russia
Subtle threats from Chinese journalists aside, Forbes reported that Musk’s proposal was furiously rejected by Ukrainians and those who support them, while Russians unsurprisingly expressed interest in the favorable terms for them that had been put forward.
Forbes further noted that while Musk’s ideas for peace were decidedly at odds with the position of the U.S. government and most of its allies, it also stood in contrast to Musk’s own previous stance at the start of the war, when he had personally challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin and provided his Starlink satellite internet system to Ukraine to aid the defense of their territory.