Risk of a military clash rises in Taiwan Strait after island fires at mainland Chinese drone, experts say

Name: Taiwan showcases fighter jets as mainland China’s war games continue following Pelosi visit
Uploaded: 2022-08-31T04:29:55.000Z
Duration: 3 min 13 s
Description: Taiwan showcases fighter jets as mainland China’s war games continue following Pelosi visit

Taiwan’s defence ministry says it will exercise the right to self-defence and counter-attack if mainland drones do not leave its territory when warned

Beijing will employ a ‘stronger response’ if Taiwan continues to fire shots, former PLA equipment specialist says

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On Tuesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said three civilian drones flew over three different locations in the airspace above Taiwan’s Quemoy archipelago. Photo: AFP

Amber Wang

Published: 12:29pm, 31 Aug 2022Updated: 3:10pm, 31 Aug 2022

The risk of a military clash over the Taiwan Strait has been elevated after Taiwan fired shots for the first time to drive away a drone belonging to mainland China, military affairs analysts said.

Neither mainland China nor Taiwan was likely to back down to the other, and the situation was prone to becoming more risky, they said.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday it would exercise the right to self-defence and counter-attack if mainland Chinese drones posing a threat to security did not leave Taiwan’s territory after being warned.

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Taiwan showcases fighter jets as mainland China’s war games continue following Pelosi visit

A day earlier, the ministry said three civilian drones flew over three different locations in the airspace above Taiwan’s Quemoy archipelago, also called Kinmen. All three elicited warning shots.

One again flew over Erdan, an offshore islet 4km (2.5 miles) from the mainland city of Xiamen in Fujian province. Taiwan fired live ammunition to drive away that drone, which retreated towards Xiamen.

Fu Qianshao, a retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force equipment specialist, said the firing of a shot was viewed as a military act.

“It is a military action if you shoot directly at the drone, regardless of whether it hits the drone or not. Tensions are escalated,” he said.