Taiwan will start deploying anti-drone defense systems on its offshore islands next year, the defense ministry said after a video surfaced online showing Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at a Chinese drone as it flew over a guard post off China’s coast. Taiwan has complained about repeated Chinese drone strikes near its offshore islands as part of Chinese military drills and exercises since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei this month, angering Beijing.
A short video clip, which was first circulated on Chinese social media and then released by Taiwanese media, shows two soldiers throwing rocks at a drone approaching their outpost.
The Defense Command of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, located near the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou in China, said the accident happened on Erdan Island on August 16 and confirmed that soldiers threw stones to drive away what it called a civilian. drone.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a separate statement that it will deploy anti-aircraft systems from next year, with them deployed to smaller islands first.