TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – After reports that the Taiwan military shot down an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Kinmen on Thursday (Sept. 1), the Chinese government acknowledged they were aware of the incident at a press conference held by the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).

TAO spokeswoman, Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), said she was aware of the reports. Zhu remarked that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were intentionally hyping up the incident to stoke tensions, in a move she called “absurd.”

Earlier on Thursday (Sept . 1), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) was also asked about the incident involving the UAV, reports UDN. Wang responded to the press that he was not aware of any news reports pertaining to the drone being shot down by Taiwanese forces over Shiyu Islet.

Taiwan’s government has acknowledged that an unidentified drone was shot down early Thursday afternoon. They have only referred to the UAV as a "civilian drone."

Likewise, the TAO spokeswoman noted only that the Chinese government was aware of the incident, without discussing who may have been piloting the UAV.

Regardless of whether a UAV is considered a civilian or military asset, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has emphasized in recent days that it will maintain a vigilant posture. Taiwanese troops are prepared to shoot down any unidentified UAVs that refuse to heed warnings after entering Taiwan's airspace.