A Chinese military drone entered the airspace over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island - also known as the Dongsha Island - for the first time on January 17, prompting a war of words between Taipei and Beijing over the legitimacy of the incursion. Dongsha lies about 170 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong.
Taiwan's military could only issue radio warnings to drive off the aircraft, as it flew beyond the range of ground-based air defense weapons.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry detected the Chinese surveillance drone approaching Dongsha airspace at 5:41 AM, with the aircraft breaching the island's territorial airspace three minutes later before departing at 5:48 AM.
A spokesperson for the Beijing-controlled Taiwan Affairs Office defended the operationas completely legitimate and legal at a press briefing on January 21, stating thatdrones under the Chinese Army's Southern Theater Command conducted flight training in airspace near Chinese sovereign territory.
The spokesperson also accused Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party of adhering to Taiwanese independence, calling the party a "troublemaker." （Related： Is Taiwan Really America’s ‘Cash Cow’? Inside the $20 Billion Arms Sales Dispute ｜ Latest ）
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council fired back the same afternoon, condemning the drone incursion as an leegal and highly provocative act. The council said the operation seriously undermined peace and stability, declaring that Beijing was the real "troublemaker" in cross-strait relations.
