The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan announced on Saturday that a Chinese reconnaissance drone entered the airspace of the Dongsha Islands, which are actually controlled by Taiwan, in the early hours of that day (January 17).
This incident marked the first time a Chinese drone has entered Taiwan’s airspace. The Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan strongly condemned the move as “highly provocative and irresponsible,” severely undermining regional peace and stability, violating international regulations, and emphasized that strict monitoring will continue, and appropriate measures will be taken in accordance with military readiness regulations.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, at around 5:41 am that day, a Chinese surveillance drone was detected operating in the southwest airspace of Taiwan and approaching the Dongsha Islands. At 5:44 am, the drone entered the airspace of Dongsha Island, flying at an altitude beyond the effective range of the island’s air defense weapons. Taiwan immediately broadcast warnings through international channels, and the drone left the relevant airspace at 5:48 am.
The Financial Times cited Taiwan’s national security officials as indicating that the type of drone involved was the WZ-7, also known as the “Xianglong,” a high-altitude long-endurance reconnaissance drone capable of cruising at an altitude of approximately 18 kilometers, significantly higher than the effective range of the existing air defense systems on Dongsha Island (about 4 kilometers).
The Dongsha Islands are located at the northern end of the South China Sea, between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, serving as an important strategic outpost for Taiwan, and also home to a national park. However, the defense deployment there is relatively limited.
In recent years, China has continued to increase military pressure on Taiwan, not only frequently deploying military aircraft and warships around the Taiwan Strait but also exerting pressure through coast guard vessels and maritime militia on outlying islands. Due to its sensitive geographical location, Dongsha has become one of the key areas for such activities over the past year.
While Chinese military aircraft, warships, and drones are nearly daily sightings in the airspace surrounding Taiwan, actual breaches into Taiwan’s airspace have been rare. In 2022, Taiwan shot down an unidentified civilian drone that intruded near the outlying island of Kinmen; this incident, considered the first official breach of airspace by a military reconnaissance drone, indicates an escalation in the airborne standoff between the two sides, with subsequent developments being closely monitored.