China rejects Canadian, Australian charges in air encounters

By KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China has defended its military pilots, saying they acted properly and were protecting its sovereignty, following recent complaints by Canada and Australia that Chinese planes engaged in risky maneuvers with their aircraft over the Pacific. A Defense Ministry spokesperson says China “swiftly took reasonable, forceful and professional measures in response to Canada’s provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations.” Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk. Separately, Australia said a Chinese fighter jet’s maneuvers were a dangerous act of aggression against an Australian air force plane that was conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.