TVBS, one of Taiwan's biggest private media groups, has apologized for accidentally broadcasting Chinese state media on a jumbo screen during a New Year's event around Taipei 101.
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00:00A sensitive mistake to ring in the new year.
00:08One of Taiwan's biggest private media groups, TVBS, has apologized for accidentally airing
00:15Chinese state media at a New Year's event in Taipei, including images of Chinese fighter
00:21jets.
00:26The mistake by the outlet, which has close ties with the China-friendly opposition party
00:31Kuomintang, sparked anger from people on-site and online, some speculating whether it was
00:38a hack by Beijing.
00:39Taipei's city government has called it a serious mistake.
00:44In a statement, TVBS, who was operating the screens near the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper,
00:51apologized and explained that while equipment was being packed away, a subcontractor's
00:56backup laptop was still plugged in and showed content queued up by YouTube autoplay, leading
01:03to the accidental broadcast of unrelated content.
01:08Given Beijing's constant threat to take self-rule Taiwan by force, the apology and official
01:14explanation for the gaffe of playing China Central Television or CCTV to a public crowd
01:20in Taipei has left many here unsatisfied.
01:32In recent weeks, officials and citizens in Taiwan have been extra vigilant over Chinese
01:38United Front tactics, a tool used by Beijing to get pro-unification messages across.
01:45In early December, Taiwanese students protested a group of visiting Chinese students saying
01:51they avoided interacting with their Taiwanese hosts.
01:54Chinese officials were also denied entry into Taiwan for an annual forum.
02:00And Taiwan's main office that handles cross-strait affairs vowed to investigate claims made by
02:06YouTubers about alleged Beijing strategies to recruit Taiwanese influencers.
02:12Although the New Year's mishap has been explained as a mistake, lawmakers urge extra attention
02:18when planning and executing city-backed public events.
02:32Officials have stressed the need for people in Taiwan to stay alert and be even more cautious
02:38so that any preventable mistakes do not add to already existing pressure and coercion
02:45coming from the outside.
02:47Karma Xu and Joyce Sun for Taiwan Plus.