Germany on Tuesday summoned China’s ambassador to Berlin after Beijing allegedly targeted a German plane with a laser during an EU operation in the Red Sea. File photo by Clemens Bilan\/EPA-EFE<\/p>\n
July 8 (UPI) — The German Foreign Ministry called to meet with the Chinese ambassador in Berlin after a Chinese warship allegedly targeted a German plane with a laser during an EU operation in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n
“The Chinese military has targeted a German aircraft in the EU operation ASPIDES with a laser deployment,” the German foreign office purported in an X post Tuesday<\/a>. “The endangerment of German personnel and disruption of the operation are completely unacceptable.”\n<\/p>\n “The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office today regarding this matter,” the post concluded.<\/p>\n ASPIDES is a joint EU operation<\/a> in which the EU’s Naval Force, or EUNAVFOR, works to protect vessels in the southern Red Sea from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants.<\/p>\n A German Defense Ministry spokesperson said the aircraft targeted<\/a> in the incident is a surveillance plane known as a “flying eye,” and is piloted by a crew of civilians with military personnel on board as well.<\/p>\n “By using the laser, the warship accepted risk to people and property,” the spokesperson said. The flight was called off<\/a> as a result of the targeting, but security flights have since continued.\n<\/p>\n