Chinese Military Drones Double Up Against Taiwan

China sent military drones over the waters between Taiwan and Japan’s westernmost island on Friday as Beijing continued to pile its pressure on Taipei by mobilizing large forces.

The Joint Staff Office under Japan’s Defense Ministry reported two Chinese drones’ flights near its air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Both drones, types not identified by the report, flew northward along Taiwan’s eastern coast via the so-called “Yonaguni Gap” on Friday.

The waterway, less than 70 miles wide, between Taiwan and Japan’s island of Yonaguni has been frequently used by the Chinese military aircraft and vessels for transits and operations, causing concern in Japan. Tokyo has upgraded the island’s defense capabilities in recent years as a result.

Taiwan is a self-ruled island but viewed by China as a breakaway province. Beijing has refused to renounce the right of use of force to resolve the cross-strait issues. It has been accused by Taipei of continuously exerting military coercion by sending air and naval forces around the island daily.

The U.S. has closely monitored the tensions in areas around the Taiwan Strait. For the first time on Yonaguni, during exercises on July 29, the U.S. Marine Corps deployed an advanced radar system capable of detecting a variety of threats in the air that included unmanned aircraft.

The U.S. also sent destroyer USS Ralph Johnson to the Taiwan Strait the day before the Chinese drones’ flights, demonstrating what the Navy called Washington’s commitment to supporting Taiwan that the island should not be intimidated or coerced into giving up its rights and freedoms.

After transiting over the waterway, both military drones flew toward China’s eastern coast. Japan’s air force scrambled its fighter jets as a response to the drones’ flights, the Joint Staff Office added.

The Taiwanese defense ministry confirmed the Japanese military’s report on Saturday. A total of 38 Chinese military aircraft, including the drones, were flying around Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, 12 Chinese naval vessels were detected operating around the island.

Newsweek‘s map shows the Chinese drones’ flight paths in two colors. The tracks shown in red are provided by Taiwan’s defense ministry, and the Japanese military’s tracks are displayed in dark red. China’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment by email.

The Chinese drones departed from the country’s southeastern coast and crossed the south of the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry. They approached Keelung, a port city in northeastern Taiwan, with a distance of 42 nautical miles (48 miles).

The recent Chinese drones’ operations near Taiwan come after the island’s armed forces showed their missile capabilities to the media on August 20. A total of four air defense missiles were fired from a test site and a frigate, while a surface-to-surface cruise missile was test-launched from land.