evidence: A long-stalled runway upgrade project on Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) has finally begun, despite rising military threats from China, and should be completed early next year, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) report said yesterday. [...] The ministry’s report was released after Chinese drones were spotted near Pratas Island, while Chinese People’s Liberation Army aircraft have been flying through Taiwan’s air defense identification zone near the Pratas Island on an almost daily basis. Pratas Island lies 450km southwest of Kaohsiung, while Itu Aba Island is 1,600km southwest of Kaohsiung. The two are staffed by coast guard personnel trained by the Marine Corps, but the ministry last year said it would temporarily post marines on Pratas Island amid reports the Chinese military planned to conduct drills in the area.