The Defense Ministry issued an apology on Wednesday for a nationwide emergency alert the previous day, which in its English translation warned the public of a Chinese “missile” flying over Taiwan airspace.
The “missile” was actually a carrier rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China at around 3:03 p.m. Tuesday. Although the alert described the rocket as a “satellite” in Mandarin, the English version stated “[Air raid alert] Missile flyover Taiwan airspace, be aware.” Many in Taiwan expressed concern and confusion over the conflicting messages.
The Defense Ministry said it determined that the Chinese satellite would pass over the airspace of Taiwan, even though Chinese authorities had announced a flight path that did not travel over its airspace. Due to this unusual flight path, the ministry says it acted accordingly to ensure the safety of the public.
The ministry has since apologized to the public for the error and further explained that the English used in the warning message, especially the word “missile,” has already been comprehensively reviewed and revised by relevant units.
With Taiwan’s elections happening in the next few days, speculation arose whether the warning was politically motivated. To which the Defense Ministry emphasized that the military has never changed its position. It strictly adheres to administrative neutrality and acts in accordance with the law. It added that it will continue to make every effort to maintain a state of readiness to ensure national security.