00:00 As we step into this unfolding scenario, a Chinese satellite launch flying over Taiwan
00:08 has ignited a political storm on the island raising questions about China's motives just
00:15 days before crucial presidential elections.
00:18 Taiwan's presidential office downplaced the incident, asserting that the launch was not
00:22 deemed an attempt at interference.
00:25 However, the main opposition party is left questioning the issuance of an erroneous air
00:30 raid alert.
00:31 Taking a closer look at the events on Tuesday, a government-issued air raid alert mistakenly
00:37 heightened tensions as Chinese rocket carrying a science satellite passed over southern Taiwan
00:43 at an altitude exceeding 500 km (310 miles).
00:48 The defence ministry issued a subsequent apology attributing the error to a wrong translation
00:54 in English that used the term "missile".
00:57 Addressing concerns about election interference, Taiwan's presidential office emphasised that
01:02 it did not perceive a political motive behind the Chinese satellite launch.
01:07 As the rocket launch triggered a false air raid alarm, it's important to note that Taiwan,
01:12 a territory claimed by China despite Taipei's strong objections, has consistently accused
01:18 Beijing of attempting to interfere in the upcoming elections through various means,
01:24 be it military, political, economic or otherwise.
01:28 China dismisses these allegations as "dirty tricks".
01:32 The ruling party's presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, stands in support of the Taiwan
01:37 defence ministry's decision to publish a chart depicting the satellite's flight path over
01:42 southern Taiwan.
01:45 In response, China's Taiwan Affairs Office clarified on Wednesday that the satellite
01:49 launch was part of a regular annual arrangement and had nothing to do with the Taiwan election.
01:56 Notably, China had conducted two satellite launches in early December from a site in
02:01 Inner Mongolia, neither of which passed over Taiwan or triggered any alerts.
02:07 Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard's Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
02:13 who closely monitors space launches, explained that the first stage of rockets safely landed
02:19 within China, while the second stage transversed over Taiwan at an altitude similar to International
02:25 Space Station.
02:26 McDowell characterized Taiwan's responses as an "overreaction", emphasizing that
02:32 satellites' routines pass over Taiwan daily.
02:35 This is a list of the top 10 most controversial Chinese satellites.
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