Berlin accuses Chinese military of targeting German plane with laser

The German government on Tuesday accused the Chinese military of using a laser to target an aircraft involved in an EU-backed Red Sea operation.

Berlin summoned the Chinese ambassador regarding the incident.

“The endangerment of German personnel and the disruption of the mission are completely unacceptable,” the German foreign office said Tuesday morning. It did not identify the precise location where the incident occurred.

The Aspides EU military operation started in February 2024 to protect vessels against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the southern Red Sea and aims to ensure the freedom of international shipping.

Multiple EU member countries contribute to the mission, including Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The U.S. carried out a short-lived bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this year to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, during which American military battle plans were infamously shared with a journalist on Signal.