FACT CHECK: China did not attack Taiwan

Claim: China has launched an attack against Taiwan. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim was posted on May 27 and has gained 91,639 views, 1,500 likes, and 398 comments as of writing.

Text on the video’s thumbnail implies that China has attacked Taiwan: “China lumusob na. Pina-ulanan na ang Taiwan. WPS delekado. Delekato to! Pinotokan na!” (China has invaded. It has started attacking Taiwan. West Philippine Sea is in danger. This is dangerous! They have attacked!)

The thumbnail features photos of Chinese President XI Jin Ping, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who assumed the presidency on May 20, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. There were also photos of aircraft, vessels, and soldiers on the shore supposedly depicting an attack.

The facts: China has not launched an attack against Taiwan. The video does not show any proof to support its claim. 

There were also discrepancies between the video’s content and the claim made in the thumbnail. While the thumbnail claims that China has already attacked Taiwan, the video’s narrator merely discussed the possibility of Beijing attacking Taiwan in the future.

There are also no official reports from the government of China or Taiwan to support this false claim. 

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Chinese military activity around Taiwan: The misleading video was uploaded just days after China concluded its two-day war games around Taiwan, which were held following the inauguration of new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

Taiwan’s defense ministry reported a surge of Chinese warplanes and warships involved in the drills, which China said aimed to “test the ability to jointly seize power, launch joint attacks and occupy key areas.” Beijing’s military activity has been condemned by Taiwan as “blatant provocation.” 

Under the One-China Policy, Beijing asserts that Taiwan “is an inalienable part of China’s territory; and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.” 

China has denounced Lai as a “separatist” and has rebuffed his offers for talks. In his inaugural speech, Lai urged China to stop its “political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the greater region, and ensure the world is free from the fear of war.”

Debunked: Rappler has already debunked similar claims on the China-Taiwan issue:

• FACT CHECK: Video does not show Chinese invasion of Taiwan
• Video does not show China attacking Taiwan

 – James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com 

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