China warns Ottawa of provocations in international airspace: MoD
After an unwanted interaction between the Canadian and the Chinese airforces in international airspace, China warns that any intelligence activity or provocation that threatens its national security will have consequences.
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Defense Ministry Spokesperson Wu Qian warned Ottawa that Canada must refrain from provocations in international airspace
Provocations in the pacific increased earlier on Monday as the Chinese defense ministry warned the Canadian air force against threatening its national security as Ottawa ramps up intelligence activities in the region.
The Chinese defense ministry spokesperson, Wu Qian, warned Canada that it must refrain from provocations in international airspace, which threatens global stability and personnel from both sides, otherwise they will be held accountable for their actions.
Qian had stated that the Canadian air forces have amplified intelligence undertakings and provocations against China during the Canadian air forces' NEON mission, under the pretext of monitoring possible violations of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea.
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"Recently, the Canadian air forces aircraft have stepped up intelligence activities and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing UNSC resolutions, which poses a threat to China's national security and also endangers the personnel of both sides, the Chinese side strongly opposes this," Qian said in a statement.
Earlier, the Canadian armed forces accused the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force of "unethical and threatening" behavior during the most recent encounters in international airspace.
This statement comes a day after Australia made public an interception of one of their aircraft by the Chinese air force in contested airspace over the South China Sea. According to the defense statement, the Royal Australian Air Force P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was conducting a "routine maritime surveillance activity" in international airspace in the region on May 26 and was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter.
