President Tsai Ing-wen is warning Taiwan's people to watch out for the spread of fake news, especially regarding China's military drills. Tsai spoke on Tuesday in Yunlin, her first public trip out of northern Taiwan since the recent wave of drills began last week.
Recent online rumors have claimed China is evacuating its citizens from Taiwan and misrepresented the proximity of China's warships. Tsai says Taiwanese people have remained calm in response to the cognitive warfare and stopped the fake news from creating mass hysteria.
The president says Taiwan's military is its first line of defense against threats from Beijing. But she also reminded the public that warfare doesn't always take place on a battlefield, and they should be wary of cyber attacks and fake news.
Tsai adds that people should check the reliability of online news sources and report disinformation to local representatives.