(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan said it welcomes applications from international satellite firms to offer services on the island as it looks to strengthen the resilience of its communication systems.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs made the comments after the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin once asked Elon Musk to withhold his Starlink service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Operators can apply at any time provided that they comply with our laws,” the ministry said in response to questions from Bloomberg.
Access to satellite internet is crucial for Taiwan to maintain communications if a Chinese attack were to disrupt its networks. Tensions have risen in recent weeks as China conducted major military drills near Taiwan after President Lai Ching-te’s speech earlier this month that neither side of the strait is subordinate to the other.
--With assistance from Yian Lee and Cindy Wang.
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