The Facts
Taiwan announced that its troops, for the first time ever, shot down an unidentified civilian drone near Kinmen Island on Thurs. after attempts to repel it reportedly failed, and as tensions with China continue to escalate.
This came as Taiwan fired warning shots at civilian drones that approached its offshore islands near the Chinese mainland on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The shooting down of a harmless civilian drone is Taiwan's attempt to magnify an already tense situation. Rather than warning the drones away, this recent development will likely have the opposite effect, and only reveals Taipei armed forces' weak defenses.
Anti-China narrative
These drone flights are part of a string of provocative gestures by China to try to intimidate Taiwan's military. Taipei first responded cautiously, but has since been forced to respond more harshly, which it has every right to do when antagonized by China.
