German laser claim in Red Sea inconsistent with facts; one-sided narrative raises questions: expert

Asked to comment on claims by the German government that the Chinese military employed a laser targeting a German aircraft in the Red See, saying that this move endangers German personnel, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that from what we have learned from the competent authorities, the information posted by Germany does not match the facts that China has gathered.

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. They maintain sound communication with Germany and the EU colleagues. It is important to increase communication in a timely way and be fact-based to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, the spokesperson added.

The surveillance aircraft was part of the EU mission Aspides, AP News reported. It was lasered earlier this month "without any reason or prior contact" by a Chinese warship that had been encountered several times in the area, the German Defense Ministry claimed.

The ministry added that the aircraft, operated by a civilian commercial service provider but with German army personnel involved, has since resumed its operations with the EU mission in the Red Sea, AP reported.

However, Germany's accusations are riddled with inconsistencies, and its one-sided narrative raises many questions, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Although Germany claimed its aircraft was attacked "without any reason or prior contact," the reconnaissance aircraft's mission was to conduct close-in surveillance and gather intelligence, actions that threatened the Chinese warship's normal navigation. Under such circumstances, warships of any country, including China, would take corresponding measures, Zhang said.

Germany also concealed key facts when publicizing the incident, labeling the aircraft as "civilian" when it belonged to the German armed forces and was being used for intelligence gathering, the expert added.

The expert noted that open-source reports show that the US and other countries frequently employ civilian-registered planes for reconnaissance missions. "By deliberately blurring the line between a commercially operated aircraft and a military aircraft, Germany sought to create the false impression that China had attacked a civilian target and to hype the 'China threat' narrative," Zhang said. 

As Chinese warships are not equipped with laser weapons, the so-called "laser attack" is unfounded. The signals were likely emitted by electro-optical or illumination devices, not laser weapons, Zhang added.

"Such electro-optical equipment has limited power and causes no physical damage. Although some countries sensationalized the 'Chinese laser attack,' they admitted no harm and avoided mentioning their own provocative actions, instead maliciously hyping the 'China threat' narrative," he said.

The expert said that before Germany, other countries such as Canada have also speculated on the use of laser weapons by Chinese warships to carry out the so-called attack, and such practices are all typical of deflecting blame. "Their own aircraft first provoked and harassed, and once they were countered, they used the media to pretend they are defenseless to whip up public opinion to smear China."