China flew a surveillance drone into Taiwan’s airspace for the first time on Saturday (Jan. 17) as the Chinese Communist Party quietly upped its pressure on Taiwan.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the reconnaissance drone entered the airspace of Pratis, an island controlled by Taiwan, located 250 miles or 400 km away from the country’s main island.
The drone flew above the range of Taiwan’s air defense systems and left the area after Taiwan issued warnings.
Taiwan’s defense minister Wellington Koo has previously said that if a Chinese aircraft or other military asset enters the island’s airspace, it can be considered a first strike.
He added that Taiwan would be justified in responding in self-defense.
Two Taiwanese officials told the Financial Times that Taiwan would be extremely careful to prevent any incident at Pratis from escalating into a bigger conflict.
China Carries Out Unusual Navy Exercises
In recent weeks, China has also carried out unusual exercises involving thousands of fishing boats in the East China Sea, the waters between China, Taiwan and Japan.
The New York Times reported that roughly 1,400 Chinese vessels formed a rectangular formation stretching 200 miles long in the East China Sea.
Some of the civilian fishing boats have been trained for military operations.
China has used dual-purpose fishing boats to support its navy in the past but it is unusual to have some fishing boats gathered together.
A former U.S. intelligence officer said Chinese fishing boats are too small to effectively carry out a blockade, but they could potentially impede U.S. warship operations.
A month ago, about 2,000 Chinese fishing boats assembled in an L-shaped formation.
Analysts said China has been bolstering its maritime militia which could signal a test of how civilian vessels might support military operations against Taiwan.
The fishing boats assembled near major shipping lanes close to Shanghai.
Those lanes are considered strategically important for China in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
Some experts warn the fishing boats could be used to overwhelm radar or drone sensors, or to help China reinforce its territorial claims.
