Chinese satellite launch causes political storm in Taiwan

The launch of a Chinese satellite, which passed over Taiwan and triggered a false air raid alert, ignited a political uproar on the island just days before the presidential elections, raising questions about China’s intentions.

While Taiwan’s presidential office dismissed the Chinese satellite launch over southern Taiwan as non-interference before the polls, the main opposition party raised concerns, questioning the necessity of the issued alert.

This Tuesday, a government-issued air raid alert was erroneously triggered as a Chinese rocket transporting a science satellite passed over southern Taiwan at an altitude exceeding 500 km (310 miles). The defense ministry later apologized for the inaccurate English translation, specifically the use of the term “missile.”

Taiwan’s presidential office, responding to questions on whether it considered the satellite launch election interference, said it did not think there was a political motive.

The rocket launch triggered a false air raid alarm, and despite China’s claim of Taiwan as its territory, Taiwan has consistently accused Beijing of interference in various forms, including military, political, and economic, ahead of the vote. China dismisses these allegations as “dirty tricks.”

The ruling party’s presidential candidate Lai Ching-te supported the Taiwan defence ministry’s publication of a chart showing the flight path of the satellite crossing over southern Taiwan.

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“This information was based on the people’s right to know, and to not let the public misunderstand. At the same time, if any wreckage is discovered then it could be handed over to the relevant authorities. This is something that should be done,” he said during campaigning on Wednesday.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a written response to Reuters on Wednesday that the satellite launch was a regular annual arrangement and had “nothing to do with the Taiwan election.”

China made two satellite launches on consecutive days in early December from a launch site in Inner Mongolia. Neither of those had flown over Taiwan or triggered an alert.

Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, tracking space launches at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, noted the first rocket stage landed within China, while the second stage passed over Taiwan at a height similar to the International Space Station.

“It was far up in space and indeed entered orbit well before crossing the coast of mainland China. So I think this is an overreaction by Taiwan. Satellites fly over Taiwan every day,” he said.