China Launches Satellite, Triggering "National Alert" in Taiwan
The launch of a man-made satellite by China on September 9 has caused Taiwan to issue four consecutive state-level alerts to warn the public, which has led to a high level of public anxiety. In response, the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office told the media on the 10th that the satellite launch was an annual routine arrangement and had nothing to do with the Taiwan election.
This time, China successfully launched the Einstein Probe satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. However, due to the sensitive timing of Taiwan's 2024 presidential election, and the fact that Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense issued a rare "national-level alert," the difference between the words "satellite" and "missile" in the text has caused controversy and even attracted a great deal of attention from foreign media. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China also warned against this incident, accusing China of using this satellite launch as a typical example of "gray zone" tactics. Although it did not reach the level of military confrontation, it had the effect of inciting panic. The Ministry of National Defense clarified once again that the operation was conducted with national defense and security in mind, and that there was absolutely no interference by political forces, not to mention any mediation.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the first section of the rocket carrying the satellite landed inside China, and the second section of the rocket flew over Taiwan at an altitude comparable to that of the International Space Station and was in orbit long before it crossed the coast of the Chinese mainland, so he believes that in this case, Taiwan overreacted, stating that there are satellites flying over the country every day.
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