Beijing denies German accusation that PLA laser-targeted aircraft patrolling Red Sea
Chinese warship had targeted a German aircraft in the Red Sea with a laser.
The German foreign ministry said on Tuesday the aircraft was taking part in the European Union's Aspides mission to protect marine traffic in the waterway, while the People's Liberation Army naval vessel laser-targeted it 'without reason or prior contact'.
The Chinese ambassador to Berlin was summoned for the incident the ministry described as 'endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation' and 'entirely unacceptable'.
In response, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the accusation 'does not match the facts that China has gathered'.
'It is important to increase communication in a timely way and be fact-based to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation,' spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Mao did not elaborate on China's version of the incident but defended the PLA navy's presence in the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What are China's plans for deep space exploration … and beyond?
The US Senate has approved an extra US$10 billion for Nasa's Artemis moon exploration programme, giving a major boost to contractors such as Boeing. While many see it as a domestic win over newer space players including SpaceX , it also signals the Trump administration's determination to stay ahead of China in an intensifying space race. Here we look at how China is expanding its deep-space ambitions , from putting astronauts on the moon to returning rocks from Mars, and how it is posing the most serious challenge to US space leadership in 60 years. Will the next words spoken on the moon be in Mandarin? Possibly. China aims to land two astronauts on the moon before 2030, with all major hardware now in prototype development and large-scale testing. The Chinese programme's Mengzhou crew capsule passed a critical safety test just last month, and the Long March-10 moon rocket could make its maiden flight as early as next year. China is also developing the Lanyue lunar lander and the Wangyu spacesuit, both undergoing trials. Nasa still leads on paper, with Artemis III targeting a crewed landing no earlier than 2027. But the mission faces big technical hurdles. In particular, its massive lunar lander – a modified SpaceX Starship – requires in-orbit refuelling, something that has not been done before.
The Standard
11 hours ago
- The Standard
China, ASEAN to submit upgraded free trade deal to leaders in October, says China's foreign minister
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to the media as he walks between meetings during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Jimmy O. Yang and John Lee bonded over their time at Hong Kong's Wah Yan College
City leader John Lee Ka-chiu and renowned Hong Kong-American stand-up comedian Jimmy O. Yang met to discuss their time at Wah Yan College and the future of local showbusiness, it has been revealed. Advertisement Lee graduated from Wah Yan College, Kowloon, while O. Yang attended Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. Joining the duo at the gathering was Commissioner for Belt and Road Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, who was O. Yang's classmate. The recent meetup was revealed in a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo by O. Yang's management company CAA on Saturday. The three men shared 'campus memories and interesting stories', according to the post. Advertisement Accompanying photos showed the three toasting with commemorative water cups from the 'Wah Yan One Family' alumni organisation. It did not mention when or where the gathering took place or how long it lasted.
