The interception of a Canadian military plane by Chinese fighter jets over international waters has been deemed unacceptable, dangerous, and reckless by Canada’s Defence Minister, Bill Blair.
The incident occurred on Monday when a Chinese jet reportedly approached within five meters of a Canadian surveillance plane involved in a U.N. operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea. This occurred in international waters off the coast of China.
Global News, which had a crew on board the Canadian plane, reported the incident. Minister Blair expressed concern over the unprofessional manner in which the interception took place, stating that such behaviors are not acceptable.
He emphasized that the incident put the Canadian aircraft at significant risk and added that Canada would express its concerns to the People’s Republic of China in the most appropriate manner.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa has not provided any official comment regarding the Global News report. However, it is worth noting that in June 2022, Canada’s military accused Chinese warplanes of harassing its patrol aircraft during monitoring of North Korea sanction evasions, resulting in Canadian planes having to divert from their flight paths.
Additionally, in May, the Pentagon condemned a Chinese fighter jet for an “unnecessarily aggressive” maneuver near a U.S. military plane over the South China Sea in international airspace. This incident followed what the U.S. calls a recent trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by Chinese military aircraft.
According to the provided information, the Russian media reported on President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to China. Prior to the visit, Putin praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, referring to him as a “world-recognized leader.” Putin highlighted that President Xi does not make decisions based on personal interests but rather evaluates and analyzes the situation and looks to the future.
In a video interview released by the Chinese media, Putin called for stronger cooperation between Russia and China, emphasizing the importance of their relationship for global stability. Russia, facing harsh economic sanctions from the West due to its involvement in the prolonged Ukraine conflict, is eager to enhance its economic ties with China, such as reaching agreements on projects like the Siberian Power 2 pipeline. Meanwhile, Japan is also seeking to strengthen cooperation with China, especially in the context of East Asia and the Korean Peninsula.
It is notable that China invited President Putin, who is currently isolated from Western countries, to a prestigious event. China aims to emphasize cooperation and hopes to create a favorable international environment for its energy supply and other areas. According to Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to President Putin, the Russia-China summit will be held on the 18th of this month.
