US EditionGermany summons China’s ambassador after a plane is lasered over Red Sea
GERMANY, JUL 09 – Germany condemned the laser attack on its reconnaissance aircraft during the EU Aspides mission, involving 700 troops protecting shipping from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
- Germany called in China's ambassador to Berlin on Tuesday to express concerns after a Chinese naval vessel reportedly directed a laser at a German aircraft involved in an EU mission operating in the Red Sea.
- The incident occurred during the EU's Aspides mission, a defensive effort protecting civilian vessels from Iran-backed Houthi attacks, with no prior communication or reason given for the targeting.
- The targeted aircraft, a surveillance plane operated by civilians and German military personnel, aborted its mission as a precaution and landed safely at a base in Djibouti before resuming operations.
- A spokesperson from the German Defense Ministry stated that the warship’s use of a laser posed dangers to both personnel and equipment, while the Foreign Office condemned the action as an unacceptable threat to German staff and a disruption to the mission.
- The summoning reflects mounting EU concerns about Beijing's influence and signals possible shifts in Germany’s China policy if hybrid attacks continue to escalate, as urged by parliament member Roderich Kiesewetter.
190 Articles
190 Articles
China rejects accusations that it targeted a German reconnaissance plane with a laser. When it comes to protecting its own interests, the Chinese leadership relies on conferences - but also on confrontation, when it deems it necessary.
This is not the first time that China has been accused of using lasers against foreign aircraft. However, China has denied it every time. However, this incident has once again raised a debate on the intensifying laser weapons race. Armies and defense laboratories around the world are engaged in developing a new class of powerful laser beams that have the ability to disable targets in the air.
The German Foreign Office reported on Tuesday, July 8, that it called on the Chinese ambassador to his country to protest a recent incident in the Red Sea involving an Asian giant warship.According to the German authorities, the Chinese vessel pointed a laser at a German surveillance aircraft, which is part of the European Union (EU) ASPIDES mission.
China denies allegations of laser attack by a German reconnaissance aircraft over the Red Sea.
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