November 4, 2023

China urges Canada not to disregard the facts, stop hyping up the matter, and strictly restrict the action of frontline air and sea forces to prevent air and sea accidents, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, responded to Canada's recent claims of "unsafe interceptions" by Chinese military jets.

Canadian defense minister Bill Blair on Friday accused China's air force of unsafe behavior, which he told reporters "put the safety of all personnel involved in unnecessary risk."

Zhang said in a statement on Saturday that helicopter from the Canadian HMCS Ottawa frigate approached the Chinese airspace in the Xisha Islands recently with unidentified intentions. During the process, the Chinese People's Liberation Army organized naval and air forces to identify and verify their purpose in accordance with the law, and repeatedly called out warnings, but the Canadian helicopters not only refused to respond, but also made provocative actions such as flying at extremely low altitude. Afterwards, the Canadian side played up the issue through the media, accusing and smearing China.

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202311/1301192.shtml