Chinese military dealt with Canadian military aircraft’s recent close-in reconnaissance and provocation on China with professional but powerful measures, and demanded Canada to desist from further provocations, or Canada shall bear all serious consequences, the Chinese defense and foreign ministries said on Monday.

Recently, using the excuse of carrying out UN Security Council Resolutions, Canadian military aircraft ramped up its close-in reconnaissance provocations on China, harming China's national security and putting personnel’s safety at risk on both sides', said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson at China’s Ministry of National Defense, in a statement on Monday. China strongly condemns such behavior, Wu said.

The Chinese military quickly took reasonable, powerful, safe and professional measures to deal with Canada's provocation and its unfriendly, unprofessional moves, and lodged solemn representation through diplomatic channels, Wu said.

Wu’s remarks came after the Canadian Armed Forces recently accused Chinese Air Force aircraft of repeatedly buzzing Canadian surveillance planes, which allegedly helped to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea. Canada claimed that China’s measures were unprofessional and unsafe.

China urges Canada to face up to the seriousness of the situation, to strictly restrain its frontline forces and to avoid any risky or provocative actions, or Canada shall bear serious consequences, Wu said.

UN Security Council Resolutions never authorized any country to deploy forces in another country’s territorial waters or airspace to monitor activities violating resolutions, Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on Monday.

China firmly opposes activities harming China’s national sovereignty and security in the name of carrying out missions or resolutions, Zhao said.

Canada accused Chinese warplanes of threatening flight safety, while being the only guilty party. This is an attempt at smearing China without reflecting on one’s own behavior, observers commented.

Global Times