The situation heats up in the Red Sea, where China strengthens its military presence thanks to its base from the port of Doraleh in Djibouti. On July 2, a German plane was disrupted by the aims of lasers, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused a Chinese warship. After Australia and the Philippines, Germany is the third state to postpone a case of Chinese intimidation by the use of military laser.
While Germany is no longer the first trading partner in China, since May 2024, relations between the two countries are no longer in good shape. On July 2 during a routine surveillance flight, a German air force plane, the Luftwaffe, was said to have been targeted by lasers from a Chinese warship.
“We have clear clues according to which there was a laser use by a Chinese warship against our plane”said Mitko Müller, spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, July 9, reiterating accusations from the day before. As a result, Germany had summoned the Beijing ambassador.
The incident would have occurred near the Côtes du Yemen, in the Red Sea. The plane carried out a routine surveillance flight, as part of the “aspid” operation (“shield” in ancient Greek) of the European Union, aimed at protecting maritime traffic against the attacks of the Yemeni Houthist rebels, which intensified following the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Read also Europe is preparing its autonomous fighter planes: first flights to the Baltic Sea
“Avoid misunderstandings”
In response to the German accusations, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry of Affairs, Mao Ning, said at a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, that “The two parties must adopt a pragmatic attitude, strengthen communication in a timely time and avoid misunderstandings and calculation errors.”
According to her, Germany’s allegations are “Completely incompatible with the facts”. The Member State of the European Union is however sure of having recorded these intimidation from the Chinese ship, “Without reason or prior contact”. China has a military base at the port of Doraleh in Djibouti since 2017, its first international military base.
The spokesperson Mao Ning recognized the existence and the presence of this military ship, but declared that he was currently in charge of carrying out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and in Somali waters, “Thus contributing to the safety of international navigation routes”.
A third accusation of use of military laser
However, Chinese lasers are a question, since it is the third accusation of this kind towards the Empire of the Middle. China was indeed pinned by Australia in 2022, for having pointed out a military laser on one of its planes in the north of Australia. Another reported fact dates back to 2023, where China was targeting a Filipino coast guard ship in the Southern China Sea.
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Source :
The world
