China’s defence ministry has denied using lasers to target a German plane over the Red Sea as the two countries continue to trade barbs over the alleged incident.
The German foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a People’s Liberation Army warship had shone a laser at a German surveillance plane “without reason or prior contact”, and Berlin had summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest.
But on Thursday the defence ministry told the South China Morning Post the accusation “was completely inconsistent with the facts”.
“At that time, the Chinese naval vessel fleet was carrying out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden. It did not carry out operations in the Red Sea, nor activate any laser equipment,” the ministry said.
“We hope the German side respects the fact and steps up communication and coordination with the Chinese side, to maintain bilateral relations.”
According to German media reports, the incident happened on July 2 off the coast of Yemen, and the Chinese vessel in question was a frigate that “had been encountered several times in the area before”.
No information has been released about the name or hull number of the frigate. But if the reports are correct, it is likely to be the Type 054A guided-missile frigate Honghe.
The Chinese navy has been a regular presence in this region since 2008 carrying out anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.
At present the 47th escort task force, which was first deployed in December last year, is on duty.
The only frigate in the task force is the Honghe, hull number 523. The rest in the fleet consists of the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Baotou and the Type 093A supply ship Gaoyouhu.
The Honghe is a 4,000-tonne vessel commissioned in 2022. It is an updated version of its class equipped with the PLA Navy’s latest advanced electronic suite.
In October 2023, the ship was named a “Tiger on the Sea”, a honorary title that has been passed down through five generations of vessels since its origin in 1958, reflecting a legacy of bravery and combat readiness.
It is still unknown whether the alleged laser was that of a directed-energy weapon or that of a guidance tool for munitions.
On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning defended the PLA Navy’s presence in the region.
“The Chinese navy’s escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia are aimed at fulfilling China’s responsibility as a major country, and contribute to the safety and security of international shipping lanes,” she said.
“It is important to increase communication in a timely way and be fact-based to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.”
Powerful laser weapons have the potential to burn their targets, while less strong beams can dazzle optical devices or affect service personnel’s vision.
High-energy laser weapons are typically not part of the armament on Type 054A frigates, but it is possible for the ships to be fitted with smaller laser air defence systems to counter drones or laser-guided ordnance.
The German aircraft involved in the incident was a specially configured Beechcraft King Air 350 surveillance plane flying from Djibouti. It was manned by a civilian crew on behalf of the German military, and four members of the German armed forces were also on board, according to German media.
The aircraft was said to be refitted with ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) equipment, according to military website The War Zone.
They were part of Operation Aspides, a European Union-led operation that started in early 2024 to protect ships in the Red Sea from missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen.
The plane was approaching the Chinese vessel before being targeted, Der Spiegel magazine reported.
Following the incident, the aircraft aborted its mission and returned to Djibouti. The Aspides surveillance flights had since resumed, the German foreign ministry said.
China also runs a naval base in Djibouti, established in 2016 as the country’s first permanent overseas naval base.
It is not the first time the PLA has been accused of a laser attack. In 2018, Chinese military personnel reportedly used laser systems to target US military aircraft operating out of Djibouti.
And in 2022, Australia also claimed a PLA warship fired a laser at its patrol aircraft.
Additional reporting by Hayley Wong and Yuanyue Dang - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
