Prime Minister Justin Trudeau describes as “irresponsible and provocative” the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes which were participating in a United Nations mission in the Pacific.
At a press conference on Monday, Trudeau condemned China’s actions toward Canadian planes that were part of a multilateral UN mission over the Pacific to enforce sanctions against North Korea.
“China’s actions are irresponsible and provocative, and we will continue to strongly insist that they put people at risk while disregarding UN decisions,” the prime minister said.
Last week, the Canadian military accused the Chinese planes of repeatedly violating international safety standards and endangering a Canadian crew. A press release from 1er June says Chinese aircraft attempted to hijack a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft and the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.
“Such interactions […] are concerning and increasingly frequent,” the statement said.
The Canadian aircraft had been deployed from April 26 to May 26 to join other countries in monitoring ship-to-ship fuel transfers at sea that could help North Korea evade UN sanctions for its missile tests and its nuclear tests. Chinese vessels are suspected of having participated in transfers. The United States and Japan also participated in UN monitoring.
“Hostile Operations”
Beijing on Monday defended its military pilots, saying they were doing the right thing and protecting China’s sovereignty, following complaints from Canada and Australia that Chinese planes were engaging in risky maneuvers over the Pacific. .
Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China “promptly took reasonable, powerful and professional measures in response to Canada’s hostile and unprofessional acts of provocation and operations”.
Wu said in a statement that, under the guise of implementing UN sanctions, Canada has stepped up close reconnaissance of China. He said Canada would take responsibility for all serious consequences of what he called his risky and provocative actions.
In 2001, a collision between an American surveillance plane and a Chinese air force plane resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the detention of the American crew by China for ten days.
In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, visiting Indonesia on Monday, called the actions of a Chinese fighter jet on May 26 a dangerous act of aggression against an ISIS aircraft. Australian Air Force which was conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.
The Chinese J-16 accelerated and passed in front of the Australian plane, releasing small pieces of aluminum which were sucked into the aircraft’s engine, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not comment on this incident.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the military always conducts operations based on international law and global practices in a safe and professional manner.
“We urge Australia to respect China’s national security interests and major concerns, and to be careful in its words and deeds to avoid a miscalculation that could have serious consequences,” he said. -he declares.
China claims numerous small islands and several reefs in the South China Sea, and Beijing claims the area around these outcrops is part of its territorial waters and airspace. These waters constitute an important navigation route for all the countries of the region, including Australia which, together with the United States, declares that it wants to guarantee freedom of navigation through this sector.
Zhao said China would not allow any country to violate its sovereignty in the name of freedom of navigation. He also accused Canada of spreading misinformation and said it should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy toward China and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two countries.