Germany on Tuesday said a Chinese military vessel targeted a German aircraft with a laser during an EU-led maritime security mission in the Red Sea, prompting Berlin to summon the Chinese ambassador for an explanation.
“Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said on X, referring to the ASPIDES mission , a European Union operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels navigating through the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Indian Ocean.
Details of the incident remain scarce. Germany has not disclosed the type of aircraft involved or when exactly the laser targeting occurred. There was no immediate response from the European Commission, China’s foreign ministry, or the Chinese embassy in Berlin, reported Reuters.
The incident adds to growing European concerns over China’s expanding global military presence and influence on critical technologies and infrastructure across the EU. While similar laser incidents have previously been reported in the Indo-Pacific region involving Chinese forces, this marks a rare flashpoint involving a European aircraft under an EU flag.
ASPIDES, launched earlier this year under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, has been instrumental in securing international trade routes against a backdrop of increasing regional tensions.
“Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said on X, referring to the ASPIDES mission , a European Union operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels navigating through the Red Sea, the Gulf, and the Indian Ocean.
Details of the incident remain scarce. Germany has not disclosed the type of aircraft involved or when exactly the laser targeting occurred. There was no immediate response from the European Commission, China’s foreign ministry, or the Chinese embassy in Berlin, reported Reuters.
The incident adds to growing European concerns over China’s expanding global military presence and influence on critical technologies and infrastructure across the EU. While similar laser incidents have previously been reported in the Indo-Pacific region involving Chinese forces, this marks a rare flashpoint involving a European aircraft under an EU flag.
ASPIDES, launched earlier this year under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, has been instrumental in securing international trade routes against a backdrop of increasing regional tensions.
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