After a Canadian surveillance plane was intercepted by People’s Liberation Army warplanes earlier on Monday, Canada’s defence chief accused Chinese military pilots of “dangerous” manoeuvres over the East China Sea.
Defence Minister Bill Blair commented on the incident, saying he was “very concerned” by the “unprofessional” actions of the Chinese pilots, who reportedly approached the Canadian surveillance plane while it patrolled shipping channels to impose sanctions against North Korea.
“It was, to put it mildly, dangerous and reckless.” And such behaviour is never acceptable, and we will convey that to the People’s Republic of China in the most appropriate manner,” he continued.
Blair went on to say that while the Chinese military frequently meets with Canadian forces participating in UN-led sanctions enforcement missions, the most recent engagement put Canadian personnel in danger.
Global News in Canada previously reported that one of the Chinese jets buzzed the Canadian CP-140 Aurora from a mere five metres away and shot multiple flares. During the incident, Radio Canada and Global News crews were on board the plane.
Major General Iain Huddleston, who was also present during the incident, later told reporters that the Canadian plane was “solidly in international airspace” at the time, and that the Chinese intercept was “very aggressive” and “unprofessional.”
