The German foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador over an incident in which a Chinese warship targeted a German aircraft over the Red Sea.
The incident took place at the beginning of July, and involved a German plane taking part in Operation Aspides, a European Union mission to monitor and protect shipping in the region. The aircraft was acting as a Multi-Sensor Platform for reconnaissance work; it was flashed by a Chinese laser.
The aircraft aborted its mission and landed at a base in Djibouti as a precautionary measure.
The German authorities maintain that no prior communication was made and there had been no provocation.
“By using the laser, the warship accepted the risk of endangering people and material,” commented a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry.
China has been accused of doing this to American aircraft, though confrontations with European assets are a rarity. However, tensions have been building between China and the European democracies; as the Daily Friend recently reported, the Czech Republic had protested to the Chinese about harassment of Taiwanese visitors in Prague.
[Image: European Union]