China’s rocket launch on Tuesday became a subject of controversy after an internet user on Chinese social media said the spacecraft “will fly over China’s island of Taiwan,” riling the media in the self-ruled region.

The latest source of cross-strait provocation was the firing of a Long March 11-HY2 solid propellant carrier rocket at 9:22 a.m. from a mobile floating platform in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shandong province. The rocket carried a group of nine commercial remote-sensing satellites belonging to the Jilin-1 03 family.

Tuesday’s mission was China’s second sea-based space launch and the 346th launch of the Long March rocket family. The satellites put into orbit were developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., and will provide remote sensing data for natural resources surveys, urban development and disaster detection.

State media declared the launch was a success, but then controversy arose when an account named “China Aerospace” on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging platform, analyzed the rocket trajectory and said that it would fly over “China’s island of Taiwan.” The post also included a laughing emoji.

That single comment was met with hostility by Taiwanese media, with some outlets condemning it as “clearly provocative toward Taiwan.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that the military was following the developments closely and would react when appropriate.

China’s first sea-based rocket launch took place on June 5, 2019. It was the third country to achieve the task, after the United States and Russia.

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