China satellite launch over Taiwan triggers islandwide alert
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities in Taiwan reported that a Chinese satellite had traversed the airspace in the southern part of the island. Mobile phone users across Taiwan received an “air raid alert,” urging them to stay vigilant for their safety.
The satellite, named Einstein Probe, was launched from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province at 15:03 local time, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry. Chinese broadcaster CCTV confirmed the success of the launch mission.
Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, described the satellite launch over Taiwanese airspace, particularly close to the upcoming election, as a “greyzone” activity.
Reuters news agency reported his concerns. The defense ministry in Taiwan is actively monitoring the satellite’s trajectory to appropriately alert and respond to the situation.
This incident marks the first time the Taiwanese government has issued a widespread alert of this nature. Eric Chu, chairman of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), accused the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) government of fear-mongering, especially criticizing the use of the term “missile” in the English version of the alert, which stated: “[Air raid alert] Missile flyover Taiwan airspace, be aware.”
The timing of this event is notable, occurring just days before crucial presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan. Analysts suggest that the outcomes of these elections will significantly influence the relationship between Beijing and Washington.
According to the European Space Agency, the Einstein Probe is a partnership between the agency, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.
The satellite will “observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos”, China’s Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.
In December, Taiwanese media had also reported on Chinese carrier rockets passing over the island. A Focus Taiwan report published on 10 December said a carrier rocket, also launched from Xichang had passed over southwestern Taiwan in outer space.
