Taiwanese forces stationed on a small island close to the Chinese mainland discovered food cargo that was possibly dropped by a drone, according to the South China Morning Post.
The item was delivered following a string of recent events in the offshore islands of the Quemoy (or Kinmen) chain. Following a slew of other fly-bys on Thursday, troops shot down a civilian drone that had been flying over from the mainland.
The drone operation comes as Taiwan strives to demonstrate greater commitment to discouraging Chinese planes and warships from flying and sailing closer to its territory. These Chinese operations have continued since Beijing conducted extraordinary week-long exercises in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August.
According to the island's defense ministry, soldiers discovered a food item wrapped in a garbage bag on a beach in Lieyu, which is around 5km (3 miles) from the mainland city of Xiamen.
The package was believed to have been dropped by an unidentified drone, according to the ministry, which did not specify whether it came from the mainland.
According to Taiwanese media sources, the package, which came from Xiamen and contained a Chinese tea egg and a pack of zha cai, a pickled vegetable made in the Sichuan style, was flown by a civilian drone.
The drones were warned off when troops fired flares, the military ministry reported earlier that day, and they took flight back to Xiamen.
The ministry said the Taiwanese military would take severe action against drones that "endanger military and civilian safety by dropping objects."
The article highlighted a video that was posted on mainland Weibo on Friday by a user going by the name of Quanzhou captain, in which he can be seen packing a box including food and a letter before mounting it to a drone.
"Hello, Taiwan compatriots ... We are sending our best, and unaffordable, zha cai and tea eggs to you, greetings to the frontline defenders," the letter read - a jab at earlier Taiwanese television shows that claimed mainlanders couldn't afford the two types of meals. "People on both sides of the strait are always one family," it added.
Taiwan declared last week that military would shoot any drones that refused to leave territory under its control. On Wednesday, soldiers opened fire on three drones that were carrying out civilian missions above the Quemoy archipelago in three different places.
The first drone to be brought down by Taiwanese forces was a civilian drone that was shot down above Shiyu on Thursday after the military said it ignored warnings.
