China Airlines: China denies allegations by Canada and Australia

On Monday, China defended its military pilots, claiming they were doing the right thing and defending its sovereignty, and recently received complaints from Chinese planes from Canada and Australia that they were engaging in dangerous maneuvers over the Pacific.

Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qiang said “China has taken immediate, reasonable, powerful and professional action in response to Canada’s hostile and professional provocations and actions.”

Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of failing to meet international security standards and endangering Canadian crews. A June 1 report said Chinese planes were trying to divert Canadian long-range patrol aircraft and that crews should quickly change direction to avoid a possible collision.

“Such contacts […] Anxiety and increasingly frequent, ”the report said.

The Canadian aircraft was used in conjunction with other countries to monitor ship-to-ship fuel transfers at sea from April 26 to May 26, according to a UN report on North Korea’s nuclear weapons test. To help avoid obstacles. Chinese ships are believed to have been involved in the exchange. The United States and Japan also participated in the monitoring.

Wu said in a statement that Canada has stepped up close monitoring of China under the guise of enforcing UN sanctions. He said Canada was responsible for all the serious consequences of his dangerous and provocative actions.

A Chinese pilot was killed in a collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese Air Force plane in 2001, and China detains U.S. personnel for 10 days.

In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who visited Indonesia on Monday, said the actions of the Chinese warplane on May 26 were a dangerous act of aggression against military aircraft. China Sea.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday that the Chinese J-16 flew over the Australian plane quickly, absorbing small pieces of aluminum into the rear engine.

The Chinese Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the Chinese military has always acted in accordance with international law and practice and in a safe and professional manner.

“We urge Australia to respect China’s national security interests and key concerns and to be careful in its words and actions to avoid miscalculations that could have serious consequences,” he said.

China claims ownership of many small islands and reefs in the South China Sea and claims the area around these outcrops as its regional water and airspace. Water is an important navigation route for all countries in the region, including Australia, which says it wants to work with the United States 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 movement.

He also accused China of spreading false information and said that China should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two countries.

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