Germany and China Clash Over Allegations of Military Targeting

In response to recent reports from the media indicating that Germany accused the Chinese military of laser-targeting a German aircraft, China's Ministry of National Defense asserted that these accusations are wholly inaccurate. Following Germany's announcement, which involved summoning the Chinese ambassador to the foreign ministry after asserting that a German aircraft participating in an EU operation in the Red Sea was targeted, Germany's foreign ministry expressed their concerns on the social media platform X, labeling the incident as "completely unacceptable" due to the risks posed to German personnel and the potential disruption to the operation.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense clarified that at the time of the alleged incident, a Chinese naval task group was engaged in an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and was not conducting operations in the Red Sea. The ministry emphasized that it had not activated or employed any laser equipment. They urged Germany to acknowledge the factual situation and to enhance communication and coordination with China to help maintain the overall relationship between the two nations, as well as their military interactions.