The Canadian military has accused Chinese air force pilots of unprofessional and risky behavior during recent encounters with Canadian aircraft in international airspace.
Canadian planes were deployed to Japan as part of a multinational effort to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, which has faced international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.
The Canadian Armed Forces said on Wednesday that the People’s Liberation Army air force “did not adhere to international air security standards” on several occasions.
“These interactions are unprofessional and / or put the security of the [Royal Canadian air force] personnel at risk ”.
In some cases, the Canadian crew had to quickly change their flight path to “avoid a possible collision with the intercepting aircraft,” the statement said.
And sometimes Chinese planes tried to divert Canadian planes from their flight path and flew so close that the crew was “very clearly visible.”
The statement said that these interactions in international airspace during UN-sanctioned missions were becoming more frequent, adding that “these events have also been addressed through diplomacy.”
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said she was “extremely concerned” about the incidents, which occurred less than six weeks after Ottawa and Beijing resumed significant diplomatic talks.
Bilateral relations had worsened following the arrest in December 2018 of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou by a U.S. order in Vancouver, and the arrest of two Canadians by Beijing, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, in apparent retaliation.
All three were released in September 2021 after Meng reached an agreement with US prosecutors on the charges of fraud, ending their fight for extradition.
U.S. intelligence has said North Korea appears to be preparing for its first nuclear test since 2017.
Last week, the United States forced a vote in the UN Security Council on toughening sanctions after North Korea carried out a series of rocket launches including, according to US and South Korean officials , one of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The U.S. said the test was a blatant violation of a unanimous UN resolution in 2017 that warned of new consequences for testing long-range missiles or nuclear weapons.
But China, North Korea’s main ally, and Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated sharply due to its invasion of Ukraine, vetoed the resolution, saying the new sanctions would be counterproductive and increase tensions.
In June 2019, two Canadian naval vessels were “burnished” by Chinese fighter jets as they sailed the East China Sea. The ships had been shaded by several Chinese ships and planes as they transited.