Taiwan said a Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly entered its airspace over the Pratas Islands on Saturday, calling the incident a serious provocation that threatens regional stability in the South China Sea.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the drone crossed into airspace controlled by Taipei near dawn and remained there for about eight minutes before leaving following radio warnings issued on international frequencies.
The ministry described the flight as “provocative and irresponsible,” adding that it violated international norms and would draw widespread condemnation.
According to a statement from Taiwan’s military, the unmanned aircraft approached the Pratas Islands early Saturday morning and flew at an altitude beyond the reach of anti aircraft defenses.
“After our side broadcast warnings on international channels, it departed at 0548,” the ministry said.
Taiwan said its armed forces maintained continuous monitoring during the incident and would continue operating under routine combat readiness rules to safeguard the area.
Chinese military aircraft and drones regularly operate around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, though actual incursions into Taiwanese airspace remain uncommon.
China offered a sharply different account. A spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said the drone mission involved what it described as normal flight training.
The statement, posted on the command’s official WeChat account, did not address Taiwan’s claim that the aircraft entered restricted airspace.
China also asserts sovereignty over the Pratas Islands, which are administered by Taiwan.
The Pratas Islands sit roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong at the northern edge of the disputed South China Sea. The atoll is designated a Taiwanese national park and is only lightly defended by Taipei.
Security analysts have long warned that the islands could be vulnerable in a conflict because they lie more than 400 kilometers from Taiwan’s main island and hold strategic value for controlling sea lanes in the region.
In 2022, Taiwan shot down an unidentified civilian drone near another Taiwan controlled islet off the Chinese coast, marking the first such incident of its kind.
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The drone incursion comes amid heightened military activity across the Taiwan Strait and growing concern among regional powers about miscalculation.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it would remain on high alert and respond proportionately to any further activity that threatens its airspace or territorial security.
