The Canadian military has accused the Chinese Air Force of “unprofessional behavior that may endanger Canadian Air Force personnel” during recent interactions in international airspace in Asia.
Canadian aircraft have been deployed to Japan as part of a multinational effort to impose sanctions on North Korea.
During the flight, the Canadian planes found themselves confronted by Chinese military planes that were clearly trying to change course “without respecting international safety standards,” explained the Canadian military’s press release on Wednesday evening.
In some cases, Canadian pilots had to abruptly change course “to avoid collision with the aircraft attempting to intercept them,” the statement said, adding that Chinese planes were sometimes so close that their crews “were clearly visible.”
The Canadian military also notes that this type of military interaction on the international scene during missions carried out under the sanctions voted on by the United Nations is becoming more and more frequent, and that “this problem has already been mentioned by diplomatic channels.
US intelligence believes North Korea is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.
The United States asked the UN Security Council last Thursday to tighten sanctions on North Korea after a series of missile launches, including an ICBM.
But China, North Korea’s main ally, and Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated dramatically since its invasion of Ukraine, have vetoed, saying that tougher sanctions will not only increase tension, and therefore be counterproductive.
In June 2019, two Canadian ships operating in the East China Sea followed as they passed several Chinese ships and military aircraft, some of which arrived to demolish the boats.
Beijing considers the China Sea its sphere of influence and has for years carried out countless measures to try to seize these international waters: military provocations against foreign aircraft or ships, sometimes even simple fishing boats; Building facilities on disputed islands, or by drilling offshore, back in disputed areas.
