Video of Taiwanese soldiers hurling rocks at Chinese drone sparks island's pledge to bolster defense systems

• A video of Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at a Chinese drone has gone viral.
• Taiwan's defense ministry said it would bolster its drone defenses on islands under its control.

Taiwan said it would begin deploying drone defense systems next year on the offshore islands under its control, after a video surfaced of Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at a Chinese drone flying over their guard post.

The clip first went viral on Chinese social media this week, according to Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS.

It shows two uniformed Taiwanese soldiers hurling stones at what is suspected to be a camera on a civilian-operated drone. A third soldier later emerges from the guard post with a rifle aimed at the drone's camera.

The Taiwanese troops were stationed on Kinmen, a group of islands just 2.7 miles off the Chinese coast that is under Taiwanese control. TVBS reported that civilian drones available in mainland China can fly up to nearly 10 miles.

According to the broadcaster, the video was likely shot with a zoom lens. The drone flew away after the third guard appeared, per the outlet.

Kinmen's defense command confirmed on Wednesday that the rock-throwing incident occurred on August 16, noting that it involved a civilian drone, Reuters reported.

Taiwan's defense ministry said in a separate statement that its troops "at all levels will continue to implement vigilance in accordance with the principle of 'not escalating conflicts or causing disputes,'" per the outlet.

Located far closer to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou than Taiwan island, Kinmen county is a major strategic location for both Beijing and Taipei.

China has not officially responded to the footage of the rock throwing, but people on Weibo, China's heavily moderated version of Twitter, have used it to poke fun at Taiwan's military.

"They don't even dare to shoot," said one top comment to a video of the encounter. "This is the feeling of looking at primitive tribes of the indigenous people," wrote another.

Insider previously reported how Chinese Weibo users had cheered the prospect of war with Taiwan over Pelosi's visit. The social media platform is often censored to erase dissenting opinions.

Tensions have soared between China and the self-governed democratic island of Taiwan since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei earlier this month.