The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly stated on Tuesday that the ‘news’ on the evacuation of U.S. nationals in Taiwan is purely a rumor.
MOFA spokesperson Liu Yung-chien (劉永健) gave the statement in response to false information being circulated on the social media app LINE. He further clarified that confirmation with the American Institute in Taiwan has been made on the matter.
This isn’t the first time that speculation on the evacuation of U.S. nationals in Taiwan has come on the news. In June of this year, news website The Messenger reported preparations being made by the U.S. government for evacuation plans. Three anonymous sources familiar with the matter were cited. However, USNSC coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said that it is not standard U.S. policy to evacuate private citizens from war zones. This was mentioned during a White House press briefing when asked about the report. He also added that there's no indication at this time that current conditions in Taiwan would warrant any reconsideration of that policy.
MOFA calls on and reminds Taiwanese nationals to be more vigilant. Make good use of fact-checking mechanisms before believing or spreading any information.