China slams ‘provocative’ Canadian military plane ‘intrusion’ after close call during UN surveillance mission

Foreign ministry says a CP-140 reconnaissance plane undermined national security during flight near China’s coast, lodges ‘stern representations’ with Canada
Ottawa calls Chinese interception over international waters ‘unacceptable, dangerous and reckless’

China’s military

Seong Hyeon Choi

Published: 10:00pm, 17 Oct 2023

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China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday described a Canadian military aircraft reconnaissance mission off the Chinese coast as “provocative”, while Ottawa criticised the “dangerous” interception of the aircraft by Chinese fighter pilots.

Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, told a press briefing on Tuesday that “a Canadian CP-140 aircraft illegally intruded” into Chinese airspace in the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyu Islands – known in Japan as the Senkakus – “seriously violating China’s sovereignty and threatening China’s national security”.

“In response to Canada’s provocative behaviour, China has lodged stern representations with Canada, and the Chinese military has also taken necessary measures on the spot,” said Mao.

“The truth of the matter is that Canadian military aircraft travelled thousands of miles to cause trouble and provocation at China’s doorstep … Canada should respect objective facts and stop spreading false information.”

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Mao said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions have never authorised any country to deploy military forces in the sea and air under the jurisdiction of other countries or carry out espionage and surveillance activities.

“China firmly opposes any country endangering China’s national sovereignty and security [under] the resolution. China urges Canada to face up to the seriousness of the situation and immediately stop risky and provocative behaviours,” she said.

The remarks came after Canada’s Global News, which had journalists on board the Canadian surveillance plane, reported that a Chinese jet flew within five metres (16ft) of the aircraft, which had been taking part in a United Nations operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea on Monday.

The incident occurred in international waters off the coast of China, Global News reported.

Bill Blair, Canada’s defence minister, said the Chinese interception of a Canadian military plane was “dangerous and reckless” and could put the Canadian aircraft at “significant risk”.

“I am very concerned about the unprofessional way in which this was done,” Blair said.

“Those types of behaviours are not ever acceptable and we will express that to the People’s Republic of China in the most appropriate way.”

China has been concerned about recent Western military flights carrying out surveillance missions near its shores.

Last week, the Chinese defence ministry said it scrambled fighter jets and monitored a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft from the US Navy’s 7th Fleet that had been transiting the Taiwan Strait.

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In May, the Pentagon said a Chinese fighter jet carried out an “unnecessarily aggressive” manoeuvre in front of a US reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the South China Sea.

Monday’s incident was not the first time Chinese military planes have intercepted Canadian surveillance air missions to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

In June last year, Ottawa accused Chinese fighter pilots of harassing patrol aircraft that were monitoring illegal North Korean activities, forcing the planes to divert from their flight paths.

Ottawa said the plane involved in the operation on Monday was part of a joint UN mission with Japan, France and the US, to spot North Korean attempts to evade sanctions with “ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other commodities” to support Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.

“We’re here enforcing a United Nations resolution. We are not here acting against the Chinese. We don’t want to have anything untoward happen that would result in loss of life,” said Major-General Iain Huddleston who was taking part in the mission.

According to reports by the UNSC sanctions committee, the Chinese coast and international waters near the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait have been active areas for illegal ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil bound for North Korea, which is restricted to importing a maximum of 500,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products per year.

China has repeatedly denied helping North Korea evade UN sanctions.