Slamming reports, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China said that claims that a China’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter plane was shot down by Taiwan were false.
On 4 September, social media was abuzz with reports on how the plane crashed in Guangxi, an autonomous coastal region in southern China, bordering Vietnam, after intruding into the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Multiple videos were circulated on social media showing a jet engulfed in thick smoke taken from an unknown location.
Some users had also tweeted saying the fighter jet crashed due to a technical glitch.
Condemn These ‘Malicious Acts’: Defence Ministry
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence posted a statement that, “Air Force Command solemnly refutes this claim as false information, deeming it completely untrue.”
“The information is false and completely untrue. The service strongly condemns this malicious act by deliberately creating and disseminating false information on the Internet in an attempt to confuse the audience,” the MoD said in a statement.
The ministry also emphasised that, “in order to maintain airspace security, it will continue to closely monitor the conditions of the sea and airspace around the Taiwan Strait; and provide correct information in a timely manner to prevent the spread of fake and false news, and to avoid social unrest, and appeals to people to rest assured.”
Global & Indian Media Channels too Report the Crash
Several top global and Indian media channels too reported the crash.
“In a big setback to China, a Chinese Sukhoi fighter plane has reportedly crashed in Taiwan. According to the video that has just come in, the fighter jet seems to have crashed in an open area near a rural residential area,” reported ABVP. The media report goes on to state that there is no information on how the crash occurred and that it is not clear if there was a technical malfunction or if it was the result of an attack by the Taiwanese military.
Telegraph’s Asia Correspondent Nicole Smith then took to Twitter to state, “Lots of speculation coming from Indian Twitter accounts claiming that Taiwan shot down a PLA jet. Taiwan's ministry of defence has responded categorically that this is fake news.” She had reportedly reached out to the defence ministry for a statement who then issued clarification.
“On a purely personal note, sitting in Taiwan, population 24m, I’d greatly appreciate if people would stop amplifying fake news about the kind of incident that could cause a conflict,” she appealed.
Several global channels have now reported the ministry’s statement denying reports of the crash.
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