Red Sea laser row rumbles on as China insists its warship did not target German plane
Defence ministry says Berlin’s accusation that the PLA shone a laser at an aircraft in the Red Sea is ‘inconsistent with the facts’
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”.