Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Guo-jing said his country would view any Chinese intrusion into its airspace as a “first strike” as Beijing intensifies military operations near the island.

“The army will take these violations more seriously,” he said after a series of flights by Chinese warplanes and drones near his country’s airspace. When asked if he would consider the infiltration of a military aircraft into Taiwanese airspace a “first strike,” he replied “Yes,” without specifying what the reaction would be.

“In the past, we have said that we will not strike first, which means that we will not strike without them firing artillery shells or rockets first,” Ku Cheng said. He pointed out, “But now the situation has changed as China uses methods such as drones, so we had to make adjustments and we will consider any aircraft or missile crossing as a first strike.”

Last August, Taiwanese forces fired on a Chinese army drone for the first time after it approached the Taiwanese-controlled Kinmen Islands. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Taiwanese forces fired a live missile at the plane, prompting it to change direction and retreat.