Taiwanese TV Station Apologizes for Mistakenly Announcing Chinese Missile Attack

A Taiwanese television station apologized and urged people not to panic after accidentally suggesting China launched an attack on Taipei.

Reuters reports that the Chinese Television System (CTS), a Taipei-based outlet, caused alarm after running a series of news tickers saying mainland China was attacking. The alerts suggested that Chinese missiles hit Taiwanese ships and port facilities, that a train station was set on fire by “Chinese agents,” and that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was poised to declare a state of emergency as “war could break out.”

After the news tickers ran, the CTS apologetically explained that the bulletins mistakenly aired because of a technical error. They added that the alerts were content the station produced for safety drills with New Taipei City’s fire department.

“CTS offers its sincere apology that this serious flaw has caused panic among the public and trouble to relevant units,” the CTS said in a statement obtained by CBS. They also reportedly aired numerous and corrections on multiple platforms, saying on Facebook that “CTS mistakenly ran war and disaster prevention message, no need for the public to panic.”

The misfire comes amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan over the latter’s autonomy. China views the island as an extension of their territory, while Ing-wen has proclaimed Taiwan a sovereign country that will defend itself from Chinese encroachment.

Military tensions have been escalating in recent weeks with China’s air force repeatedly entering Taiwan’s air defense zone. International politics observers have been concerned that China might use military force against Taiwan in an attempt to force them into submission, just as Russia continues to invade Ukraine.

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