The CCP Harassed Canadian Patrol Aircraft On UN Mission

The Canadian military said on June 1 that its reconnaissance aircraft assisting the United Nations on its sanctions mission against North Korea was intercepted and harassed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s military aircraft in international airspace. It has forced the reconnaissance aircraft to change its course several times to avoid collisions.

According to the report, from April 26 to May 26, the Canadian CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft took off from the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, to carry out the “Operation Neon” in defense of North Korea’s development of weapons of mass destruction. The CCP’s military aircraft repeatedly harassed it by approaching dangerously at a distance of 6 to 30 meters, and the pilots of both sides were so close that they could see each other. Moreover, the Chinese pilots showed the Canadian military counterpart an insulting hand gesture of the middle finger.

Canadian armed forces media relations chief Daniel Le Bouthillier said that, in these interactions, PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force] aircraft did not adhere to international air safety norms. And it was highly unprofessional and put their air force personnel at risk. Since the end of December last year, there have been some 60 incidents of harassment by CCP’s military aircraft, according to the Canadian Department of National Defense, more than 24 of which have been deemed dangerous. The Canadian government has repeatedly condemned this to the Beijing authorities, but the CCP has not responded.