"China has attacked us"; "Oh no, it hasn't"

"China has attacked us"; "Oh no, it hasn't"

During a broadcast on Wednesday morning, the Chinese Television Center (CTS) network mistakenly displayed information about a Chinese missile attack on warships and key infrastructure near Taipei at the bottom of the screen, local media reported.

The news carried messages such as "war could break out", and talked about the arson planted by "Chinese agents" at the main railway station in the capital and the declaration of a state of emergency.

"Citizens, please do not panic. We are clarifying the information this way and we apologize," the host announced at 10 a.m. local time. She said that the warnings were part of the fire service exercise on Tuesday, but that they were shown on Wednesday morning due to a technical error.

China has long threatened Taiwan

China has never rejected claims that it will place Taiwan under its control by force, and in the past two years it has intensified its military activities around that island state. Taiwan has increased its level of security after the conflict broke out in Ukraine, fearing that Beijing could follow Moscow's move.

The war in Ukraine has sparked a debate about the consequences it has for Taiwan and its readiness to defend itself, such as training reservists. Last week, the Taiwanese army published a manual on civil defense for the first time, giving citizens instructions on how to act in a possible war.