A Chinese satellite launch triggered Taiwan’s emergency phone alert system on Tuesday, as the self-ruled island holds a crucial presidential election that has heightened security worries around the region. Phones across the island blared with a public warning message saying a Chinese rocket carrying a satellite had passed through southern Taiwan’s airspace at about 3:04 p.m. local time. However, the English version mistranslated the words to say it had been a missile. The ministry later said that was a mistake and that the alert was meant to warn people to stay safe and report any debris they may see in the sky.
CNA reported that the launch was the first time a Chinese space mission had triggered the public warning system. It came just days before Taiwanese voters chose a new president who will oversee a delicate relationship with Beijing and the country’s growing influence in the region. Front-runner and current Vice President Lai Ching-te has accused China of using all means possible to influence this weekend’s poll, which will set the course for future cross-strait ties.
In a speech to voters on Monday, Lai vowed to strengthen Taiwan’s economy and military, calling the nation’s independence “a test of our commitment to democracy.” He also criticized China for mounting psychological warfare, citing the recent flow of exploding balloons — some of which have reached Taiwan itself — as examples.
China has maintained a near-daily presence of fighter jets, naval vessels, and drones in the waters off Taiwan, where it claims to be one of its provinces. It has also sent a flurry of propaganda posters to sway voters.
Amid the tension, both sides should seek peaceful ways to resolve their differences, including through open communication and diplomatic dialogue, he added. “Only in this way can we gradually bridge the gaps and pave the way for a more harmonious and stable coexistence,” he said.
A spokesman for China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said that the rocket that carried the Einstein Probe satellite launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province. The satellite, jointly developed by the European Space Agency, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, will study the universe’s X-ray radiation. The launch marked the latest in a series of space exploration missions China has stepped up over the past several years, which many analysts say are meant to demonstrate the country’s increasing capabilities in space technology. Xinhua reported that the satellite’s orbit will take it close to Earth and collect data for two years.