WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - China's ambassador to the United States thanked Elon Musk for proposing a special administration zone for Taiwan, while Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington reprimanded the billionaire saying its "freedom and democracy are not for sale." "Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale," Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, tweeted on Saturday. "Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan." Musk was responding to a question about China, where his Tesla (TSLA.O) electric car company operates a large factory. In tweets posted on Saturday, the Chinese ambassador wrote: "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."

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