China has opposed Germany’s claim that it had targeted a military plane with Laser, which was launched from a warship, with a diplomatic spit between the two countries.
Germany accused China of trying to disrupt one of its aircraft earlier this month, as it was participating in operations led by the European Union, which aims to protect ships in the Red Sea from the missiles launched by the rebel group in Yemen.
The German Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador and described the incident as “completely unacceptable.” The Chinese envoy to the European Union was also called by the bloc.
Beijing retreated, saying that Germany’s novel “is not fully consistent with the facts known by the Chinese side.”
On Tuesday, Germany said that a reconnaissance plane was targeted while flying over the Red Sea, as many European countries have contributed to monitoring and defensive efforts since early 2024 to protect ships from regular attacks launched from Yemen.
Germany said that the laser was fired from a Chinese warship, which was seen several times and did not communicate with the passing plane.
The plane was forced to abandon its mission and return to a military base in the East African State of Djibouti as a preventive measure, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Berlin’s reaction was fierce to the accident, accusing China of “endangering German employees and disrupting the process.”
European Union Foreign Policy spokesman, Anwar El Anouni, said the accident was “dangerous and unacceptable.”
“This law puts the employees at risk and threatens the mission of the plane,” he added.
The Chinese government responded on Wednesday, where Mao Ning spokesman told a press conference that the navy was carrying out “escort operations” in the Gulf of Aden and outside the coast of Somalia.
She said that Germany and China “must” take a stance based on facts and enhance timely communication to avoid misunderstanding and bad judgment. “
China has been accused of using lasers to target military aircraft before, primarily by the United States. China denied doing so.
Lasers can be used for blind pilots, and a new group of powerful lasers who are able to disable targets in the air under development by armies all over the world.
China created a permanent military presence in the region in 2017 when it opened a base in Djibouti, which Beijing says is used to fight piracy and freedom of maritime navigation.
Western governments have expressed concerns about China’s ambitions in the region since the opening of the base in Djibouti, where the United States, Japan, France and others also have military facilities.
It is located in a strategic pumping point that leads to Red Sea and Suez – one of the most important shipping methods in the world.
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2025-07-09 14:59:00
