China reports crash of survey drone in vital South China Sea waters

A Chinese environmental survey drone crashed in waters between Taiwan and the Philippines, Beijing warned on Wednesday as the People's Liberation Army prepared to launch two days of drills around the island.

In a brief notice, the China Maritime Safety Administration said the 4-metre (13 feet) ocean survey drone crashed into the sea earlier this month.

It did not specify a date and warned ships to be on alert.

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According to coordinates given by the administration, the crash site was about 145km (90 miles) from Taiwan and about 100km from the Bashi Channel, an important navigation zone between Taiwan and the Philippines.

The channel area is understood to have been included in the PLA drills mounted in response to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te's inauguration speech, which Beijing denounced as a separatist statement.

But the crash site did not appear to be close to the drill area.

Ying-yu Lin, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei, said the drill and the drone crash did not seem to be linked.

"As there were no specifics regarding the drone's activation time and launch location, and given that the report was published on May 22, two days before the PLA initiated exercises simulating a blockade near Taiwan, it appears that these events were unrelated," Lin said.

"However, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the mainland might exploit this incident as a pretext for conducting open searches in the area to enhance its intelligence gathering on various military activities, including those of Taiwan, the US, and other allies, both on and beneath the sea."

The crash comes as tensions run high in the South China Sea, with a series of maritime standoffs between Chinese and the Philippine vessels in recent months.

It also comes after the US and the Philippines conducted military exercises in the Western Pacific last month, deploying medium-range missiles.

Both China and the United States are increasingly using civilian and military drones in the disputed waters.

Jang Ming-ruey, secretary general of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, a Taipei-based think tank, said the coordinates suggested the drone crashed near the Philippines' northernmost island of Luzon.

"It may be positioned along the edge of the nine-dash line, a crucial route for US submarines navigating through the narrow Bashi Channel," Jang said.

He said the drone was fitted with environmental monitoring and geomagnetic survey equipment, indicating that its main function was data collection on the surface and seabed.

Beyond scientific research, many mainland drones have dual civilian and military applications, according to Jang.

"They can provide valuable insights into ocean currents and other activities, including military movements, both near and distant from Taiwan's waters. Furthermore, they can aid in detecting military movements of the US and its allies, both on the surface and beneath the sea," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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