# Peng Qing'en

Beijing Calls Drone Patrol Near Dongsha 'Legal Training' as Cross‑Strait Tensions Flare

Beijing defended a Southern Theater Command drone flight near Dongsha Island as legitimate training after Taipei said a mainland reconnaissance drone entered within 12 nautical miles, calling the action provocative. The incident underscores rising use of drones for signalling and surveillance amid unresolved sovereignty claims and heightens risks of miscalculation in the Taiwan Strait.