China denies directing laser at German plane over Red Sea

AFP | Beijing

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Beijing dismissed yesterday claims by Berlin that the Chinese military had directed a laser at a German aircraft over the Red Sea as "completely inconsistent with the facts".

The foreign ministry in Berlin said on Tuesday that a German aircraft participating in a "routine" EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea had been targeted by a laser, endangering personnel. Its counterpart in Beijing rejected the accusation.

"Both sides should adopt a pragmatic attitude, strengthen communication in a timely manner, and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. She said Chinese naval vessels had been carrying out escort duties in the Gulf of Aden and in Somali waters, "contributing to the safety of international shipping lanes".

Berlin however on Wednesday insisted its findings were based on a "thorough investigation".

"We expressed our position and our findings very clearly and very explicitly (to the Chinese ambassador), and of course also our expectation that incidents of this kind will not be repeated," foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said.

Defence ministry spokesman Mitko Mueller added that "we have clear evidence that a Chinese warship used a laser against our aircraft".

When reporting the alleged incident on Tuesday, Berlin had said the reconnaissance aircraft involved had been forced to abandon its mission and returned to a base in Djibouti.

It was not immediately clear whether the laser was a weapon or a laser guidance system. The Bild daily said the incident took place on July 2 near the Yemeni coast and involved a "blinding laser" aimed at disrupting the operation of an aircraft.