A Taiwanese TV station on Wednesday apologized for causing “panic” among the population after falsely broadcasting a string of warnings of Chinese attacks on the island.
“CTS sincerely apologizes for this serious error, which has caused panic among the public and problems for the affected units,” Taipeibased Chinese broadcaster CTS said in a statement.
The station provoked nervousness after issuing several warnings, including ones claiming that “New Taipei City was hit by Communist Army guided missiles” and that “ships exploded, facilities and boats in Taipei Port were damaged.”
CTS blamed the error on officials who released the contents of the civil protection drills.
The incident comes at a time when Taiwan fears more than ever that China will implement threats to annex the autonomous democratic island as part of its territory in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CTS said it intends to severely punish those responsible for the error following an internal investigation.
Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taiwan since President Tsai Ingwen, who sees the island as a sovereign state, came to power in 2016.
Chinese intimidation maneuvers have increased significantly over the past year. Chinese warplanes breach Taiwan’s air defense zone almost daily.