A Chinese satellite launch prompted a nationwide emergency alert in Taiwan just days before the presidential election, leading to confusion as the English translation incorrectly referred to the satellite as a "missile."
The bilingual air raid alert, broadcasted over loudspeakers and sent to all mobile phones, occurred around 3 pm local time. The message, in Chinese, informed the public that China had launched a satellite at 3:04 pm, flying over the southern part of Taiwan. However, the English portion mistakenly conveyed an "[air raid alert] missile flyover Taiwan airspace."
Simultaneously, Chinese media reported the successful launch of a scientific satellite, known as the Einstein probe, from the Xichang launch centre in Sichuan province. Trajectories suggested it passed southeast of Taiwan's southernmost point at a high altitude. Notably, Chinese authorities had not provided prior notice of the launch.
Given the heightened tensions surrounding Taiwan's upcoming presidential election, where Beijing claims the region as a province, the launch and alert added to the existing anxiety. Beijing has previously employed military intimidation, cognitive warfare, and economic coercion during elections to influence voters. The recent satellite launch near the election date raised concerns, with Taiwan's defense ministry later clarifying that it was indeed a satellite, not a missile.
Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, categorized the satellite launch over Taiwanese airspace close to the election as a "grey zone" activity, creating a sense of wariness. Opposition parties accused the government of fearmongering, with questions raised about the decision to issue an emergency alert for this specific launch.
The incident also led to confusion among the public, with some misinterpreting the Chinese text, and social media polls highlighting the ambiguity. Despite the initial confusion, Taiwan's defense ministry apologized for the oversight in the English language used in the alert, emphasizing that it was an unintentional error.