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South China Morning Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Red Sea laser row rumbles on as China insists its warship did not target German plane
China's defence ministry has denied using lasers to target a German plane over the Red Sea as the two countries continue to trade barbs over the alleged incident. The German foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a People's Liberation Army warship had shone a laser at a German surveillance plane 'without reason or prior contact', and Berlin had summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest. But on Thursday the defence ministry told the South China Morning Post the accusation 'was completely inconsistent with the facts'. 'At that time, the Chinese naval vessel fleet was carrying out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden. It did not carry out operations in the Red Sea, nor activate any laser equipment,' the ministry said. 'We hope the German side respects the fact and steps up communication and coordination with the Chinese side, to maintain bilateral relations.' According to German media reports, the incident happened on July 2 off the coast of Yemen, and the Chinese vessel in question was a frigate that 'had been encountered several times in the area before'.
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- 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.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
China rejects German claim it targeted military plane with laser
China has disputed Germany's claim that it targeted a military plane with a laser fired from a warship, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries accused China of attempting to disrupt one of its aircraft earlier this month as it was taking part in European Union-led operations aimed at protecting ships in the Red Sea from missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebel German foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador and described the incident as "entirely unacceptable". China's EU envoy has also been summoned by the bloc, Reuters has pushed back, saying Germany's account was "totally inconsistent with the facts known by the Chinese side". On Tuesday, Germany said a reconnaissance plane was targeted as it flew over the Red Sea, where several European countries have been contributing to surveillance and defensive efforts since early 2024 to protect ships from regular attacks launched from laser was fired from a Chinese warship, which had been spotted several times and had made no communication with the passing aircraft, Germany plane was forced to abandon its mission and return to a military base in the East African nation of Djibouti as a precaution, according to the foreign has reacted furiously to the incident, accusing China of "endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation".The Chinese government responded on Wednesday, with spokesperson Mao Ning telling a press conference that its navy had been carrying out "escort operations" in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of said Germany and China should "take a fact-based attitude and strengthen communication in a timely manner to avoid misunderstanding and misjudgement".China has been accused of using lasers to target military aircraft before, primarily by the US. China has denied doing can be used to blind pilots, and a new class of powerful lasers capable of disabling targets in the air are under development by militaries around the established a permanent military presence in the region in 2017 when it opened a base in Djibouti, which Beijing says is used for anti-piracy and freedom of maritime navigation governments have expressed concerns about China's ambitions in the region since opening the base in Djibouti, where the US, Japan, France and others also have military installations. It is located at a strategically important pinch point leading on to the Red Sea and Suez Canal - one of the world's most important shipping routes.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany accuses China of laser targeting aircraft in EU mission
Germany summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday after saying China's military had laser targeted a German aircraft taking part in an European Union operation in the Red Sea. The flare up in tensions comes as concerns mount in the EU about Chinese influence on critical technologies and security infrastructure in Europe. 'Putting German personnel at risk and disrupting the operation is completely unacceptable,' said Germany's Foreign Ministry on social media platform X. There was no immediate response from China's Foreign Ministry, and the Chinese Embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Germany's Defense Ministry said the aircraft, taking part in the EU's ASPIDES mission which protects international sea routes in the Red Sea, had been contributing a Multi-Sensor Platform, or 'flying eye' for reconnaissance of the area since October. A Chinese warship, which had been encountered several times in the area, had laser targeted the aircraft with no reason or prior communication during a routine mission flight, said a ministry spokesperson. The incident took place at the beginning of July. 'By using the laser, the warship put at risk the safety of personnel and material,' said the spokesperson, adding the mission flight was aborted as a precaution and the aircraft landed safely at a base in Djibouti. The deployment of the MSP in ASPIDES has since been resumed, he said. The MSP is operated by a civilian commercial service provider and German armed forces personnel are involved, said the ministry, adding the data collected significantly contributes to awareness for partners. China has previously denied accusations of firing or pointing lasers at US planes. Incidents involving a European NATO member and China are more unusual. In 2020, the US Pacific Fleet said a Chinese warship had fired a laser at a US naval patrol aircraft flying in airspace above international waters west of Guam. China said that did not accord with the facts.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Chinese warship targets German plane with a laser over Red Sea
A Chinese warship has targeted a German aircraft as it worked to protect marine traffic over the Red Sea, Berlin has revealed. Beijing 's military 'endangered personnel' participating in an European Union-led mission, the German foreign ministry said in a statement. It accused China of 'disrupting' the operation, adding that Beijing's ambassador to Berlin had been summoned following the incident. The EU launched Operation Aspides early last year to provide a naval presence in the Red Sea and Gulf amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on international commercial vessels. The incident saw a Chinese military vessel target the aircraft with no reason or prior communication during a routine mission flight, a ministry spokesperson said. It occurred at the beginning of this month and the ship had been encountered several times in the area before, they added. Germany's defence ministry said the aircraft, taking part in the EU's Aspides mission which protects international sea routes in the Red Sea, had been contributing a Multi-Sensor Platform, or 'flying eye' for reconnaissance of the area since October. 'By using the laser, the warship put at risk the safety of personnel and material,' said the spokesperson, adding the mission flight was aborted as a precaution and the aircraft landed safely at a base in Djibouti. The deployment of the MSP in Aspides has since been resumed, he said. The MSP is operated by a civilian commercial service provider and German armed forces personnel are involved, said the ministry, adding the data collected significantly contributes to awareness for partners. The flare up in tensions comes as concerns mount in the EU about Chinese influence on critical technologies and security infrastructure in Europe. China has previously denied accusations of firing or pointing lasers at US planes. Incidents involving a European NATO member and China are more unusual. In 2020, the US Pacific Fleet said a Chinese warship had fired a laser at a US naval patrol aircraft flying in airspace above international waters west of Guam. China said that did not accord with the facts. Operation Aspides began after Yemen's Houthis started attacking ships in October 2023. The militant group said their aim was to pressure Israel to stop its assault on Gaza, but they have since expanded their attacks to target ships from around the world. They have stepped up their attacks against international shipping in recent days, claiming on Sunday that they had sunk a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier called Magic Seas. The attack with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire, reportedly forced the vessel's crew of 22 to abandon ship, before the rebels said it sank. A maritime monitor has today reported that another cargo ship has been under continuous attack since Monday, losing power and suffering major damage. 'The vessel has sustained significant damage and has lost all propulsion. The vessel is surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack,' the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement.
