Latest news with #EUmission
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing denies German accusation that PLA laser-targeted aircraft patrolling Red Sea
Beijing has denied Germany's allegation that a 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.
CNA
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Berlin says China targeted German plane with laser over Red Sea
BERLIN: Berlin on Tuesday (Jul 8) said the Chinese military had targeted a laser at a German aircraft participating in an EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea. "Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable," the foreign ministry said on X, adding that Beijing's ambassador to Berlin had been summoned for talks. The German aircraft was targeted "without reason or prior contact ... during a routine operation" over the Red Sea while taking part in the European Union's Aspides mission, a spokesman for the German defence ministry said. The aircraft in question was a "multi-sensor platform" used as a "flying eye" for reconnaissance. The Chinese vessel had "taken the risk of endangering (German) personnel and equipment", the spokesman added. The German aircraft's mission was subsequently abandoned following the encounter and returned to a base in Djibouti. It was not immediately clear whether the laser was a weapon or a laser guidance system. According to the Bild daily, the incident took place on Jul 2 near the Yemeni coast and involved a "blinding laser" aimed at disrupting the operation of an aircraft. The defence ministry spokesman said that the Chinese vessel concerned had "already been encountered several times in the region". China established its first permanent overseas naval base in Djibouti in 2016, reportedly for US$590 million and strategically placed between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Beijing has said the base is used to resupply navy ships, support regional peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, and combat piracy, though its proximity to a US military base has raised concerns of espionage. China has been accused several times in recent years of using lasers in similar incidents. In February 2023, the Philippines said a Chinese military vessel had used a military-grade laser light against one of its patrol boats in the disputed South China Sea. In 2022, Australia also said the Chinese army shone a laser at one of its surveillance aircraft in an "act of intimidation". Up to 700 German soldiers take part in the EU's Aspides mission in the Red Sea aimed at protecting shipping from attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels. On Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the first such attack this year, on a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel, with another ongoing attack on a cargo vessel in the Red Sea killing two people. The in October 2023, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany summons China's ambassador after a plane is lasered over Red Sea
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's Foreign Office said Tuesday it has summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest after a Chinese warship used a laser against a German aircraft in the Red Sea. The surveillance aircraft was part of the EU mission Aspides, which is intended to better defend civilian ships against attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. It was lasered earlier this month 'without any reason or prior contact' by a Chinese warship that had been encountered several times in the area, the German Defense Ministry said. 'By using the laser, the warship accepted the risk of endangering people and material,' a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. The ministry said that as a precaution, the aircraft's mission was aborted. It landed safely at the base in Djibouti and the crew is in good health, it said. The aircraft, operated by a civilian commercial service provider but with German army personnel involved, has since resumed its operations with the EU mission in the Red Sea, the ministry said. The German Foreign Office said in a post on X that 'endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable.' China's spokespeople did not comment immediately Tuesday. The EU mission only defends civilian vessels and does not take part in any military strikes. The southern part of the Red Sea is deemed a high-risk zone. On Tuesday, Yemen's Houthi rebels continued an hourslong attack targeting a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, authorities said, after the group claimed to have sunk another vessel in an assault that threatens to renew combat across the vital waterway.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Germany summons China's ambassador after a military plane is lasered over Red Sea
BERLIN — Germany's Foreign Office said Tuesday it has summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest after a Chinese warship used a laser against a German military aircraft in the Red Sea. The maritime surveillance aircraft was part of the EU mission Aspides, which is intended to better defend civilian ships against attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. It was lasered earlier this month 'without any reason or prior contact' by a Chinese warship that had been encountered several times in the area, the German Defense Ministry said. 'By using the laser, the warship accepted the risk of endangering people and material,' a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. The ministry said that as a precaution, the aircraft's mission was aborted. It landed safely at the base in Djibouti and the crew is in good health, it said. The aircraft has since resumed its operations with the EU mission in the Red Sea. The German Foreign Office said in a post on X that 'endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable.' China's spokespeople did not comment immediately Tuesday. The EU mission only defends civilian vessels and does not take part in any military strikes. The southern part of the Red Sea is deemed a high-risk zone. On Tuesday, Yemen's Houthi rebels continued an hourslong attack targeting a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, authorities said, after the group claimed to have sunk another vessel in an assault that threatens to renew combat across the vital waterway.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Germany summons China's ambassador after a military plane is lasered over Red Sea
Germany 's Foreign Office said Tuesday it has summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest after a Chinese warship used a laser against a German military aircraft in the Red Sea. The maritime surveillance aircraft was part of the EU mission Aspides, which is intended to better defend civilian ships against attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. It was lasered earlier this month 'without any reason or prior contact' by a Chinese warship that had been encountered several times in the area, the German Defense Ministry said. 'By using the laser, the warship accepted the risk of endangering people and material,' a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. The ministry said that as a precaution, the aircraft's mission was aborted. It landed safely at the base in Djibouti and the crew is in good health, it said. The aircraft has since resumed its operations with the EU mission in the Red Sea. The German Foreign Office said in a post on X that 'endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable.' China 's spokespeople did not comment immediately Tuesday. The EU mission only defends civilian vessels and does not take part in any military strikes. The southern part of the Red Sea is deemed a high-risk zone. On Tuesday, Yemen's Houthi rebels continued an hourslong attack targeting a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea, authorities said, after the group claimed to have sunk another vessel in an assault that threatens to renew combat across the vital waterway.
