Mainland Chinese drone pilot explains why he buzzed Taiwanese troops and posted footage on internet

The operator known as Quanzhou Captain says he acted out of ‘curiosity’ and wanted to show his support for reunification

He says that he and other operators are just ordinary people who want to show their hatred for the idea of Taiwanese independence

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A Taiwanese military post on Quemoy as photographed by a civilian drone launched from the Chinese mainland. Photo: Weibo

Published: 2:00pm, 10 Sep 2022Updated: 5:55pm, 10 Sep 2022

More than 60 years ago, balloons carrying leaflets and food flew across the Taiwan Strait as the two sides continued their propaganda war following the communist victory in the civil war.

In recent weeks civilian drones have started to perform a similar role, photographing troops and dropping packages on Taiwanese-held islands in what mainlanders have described as an effort to show their support for reunification.

One mainlander, using the alias Quanzhou Captain, posted a video on social media last week showing a civilian drone flying from Xiamen to the small island of Lieyu, about 5km (3 miles) away.

The drone also dropped a message addressed to the troops stationed there and a package of snacks that Taiwanese TV had claimed were unaffordable on the mainland.

“The mentality of most flier friends flying to Taiwan is to declare sovereignty and [show our] longing for reunification,” the drone user said.

The flight came as tensions in the Taiwan Strait remained high after the People’s Liberation Army’s large-scale military exercises around the island in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit last month.

These launches, clearly endorsed by the mainland authorities, have been used to highlight public support for unification on the mainland, but analysts warned they also carried the risk of unintended consequences.