Taiwan on the alert as China launches satellite just days before crucial election

Taiwan's defence ministry issued a heightened air raid alert on Tuesday, January 9, claiming that China had launched a satellite, prompting concerns just days before the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for Saturday. the Associated Press (AP) has reported.

The elections have garnered significant international attention, with China framing them as a pivotal choice between war and peace. The geopolitical tension between Taiwan and China has been exacerbated by the latter's insistence that Taiwan is a renegade province that must be brought under its control.

According to the AP report, an official presidential alert was transmitted in English to residents' mobile phones, cautioning about a perceived missile flyover. The timing of this alert coincided with an ongoing international news conference led by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Minister Wu swiftly clarified that the alert pertained to a satellite launch, assuring journalists and the public not to be alarmed.