Canada accuses China of 'very concerning' behaviour in aerial spat
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[June 11, 2022]
By Raju Gopalakrishnan
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Canada believes China
showed "very concerning and unprofessional" behaviour while harassing
its patrol aircraft near North Korea, Defence Minister Anita Anand said
on Saturday, but she declined comment when asked whether she had raised
the issue with her Chinese counterpart.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore,
Asia's premier security meeting, Anand said the issue had been raised
through diplomatic channels. Asked whether she had spoken to Chinese
Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, who is also at the meeting, Anand said: "I
am meeting with a number of counterparts while I am here."
Canada's military accused Chinese warplanes this month of harassing its
patrol aircraft as they monitored North Korea sanction evasions,
sometimes forcing Canadian planes to divert from their flight paths.
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China's defence ministry said Canadian military jets have stepped up
reconnaissance and "provocations" against China "under the pretext" of
implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions, endangering China's
national security.
"The interceptions by the Chinese of our (aircraft)
are very concerning and unprofessional and we need to ensure that the
safety and security of our pilots is not at risk, especially when they
are simply monitoring as required under UN-sanctioned missions," Anand
said.
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![](../images/061122PIX/news_s85.jpg)
Canada's Defence Minister Anita Anand speaks during an interview
with Reuters on the sidelines of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in
Singapore June 11, 2022. REUTERS/Caroline Chia
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U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the meeting earlier on
Saturday that there had been an "alarming" increase in the number of
unsafe and unprofessional encounters between Chinese planes and
vessels with those of other countries.
Anand also reiterated Canada's commitment to "stand
shoulder-to-shoulder" with Ukraine and keep it supplied with the
military, economic and humanitarian aid it needs.
The minister declined comment on reports that Canada had asked South
Korea to supply it with artillery rounds, apparently to "backfill"
supplies that Ottawa has sent to Ukraine.
A spokesman for South Korea's ministry of defence confirmed that
Ottawa had made the request, but would not elaborate further, saying
"no official proceedings are under way related to the request."
Anand said: "In terms of our inventory, we are maintaining a careful
balance of what we are donating and ensuring that we are leveraging
our relationships with suppliers to make sure we are sending the
necessary aid that Ukraine is asking for."
(Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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