Taiwan reported detecting a Chinese reconnaissance drone that violated its airspace after entering the Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea, prompting broadcast warnings.
Taiwan’s defence minister on Saturday said the Chinese surveillance drone entered the Pratas Islands at 5.41am, flying for eight minutes at an altitude outside the range of anti-aircraft weapons, News.Az reports, citing The Independent.
The defence ministry has called the violation of the airspace of the Taiwan-controlled island, which is also known as the Tungsha Islands or the Dongsha Islands, a “provocative and irresponsible” move.
“After our side broadcast warnings on international channels, it departed at 0548,” it said in a statement.
“Such highly provocative and irresponsible actions by the People’s Liberation Army seriously undermine regional peace and stability, violated international legal norms, and will inevitably be condemned,” it added.
Taiwan’s armed forces will continue to maintain strict vigilance and monitoring, and will respond in accordance with the routine combat readiness rules, the ministry said.
The Pratas Islands are a coral atoll with an enclosed lagoon. The atoll is also a Taiwanese national park and is only lightly defended by Taiwan’s military. However, it is strategically significant, as it lies just 170 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong and is administered by Taiwan as part of the Cijin District in Kaohsiung.
The island hosts a Taiwanese Coast Guard and limited military personnel.
China claims Taiwan, a democratically governed island of 23 million people, as its own territory and has long called for the “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, while it also has a law stating it will resort to “non-peaceful means” to prevent the island’s “secession”.