China complains of ‘harassment’ from New Zealand aerial patrols close to coastline
South China Morning Post • • world
Key Points:
- China has formally protested to New Zealand over the activities of a New Zealand P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft near its coast, claiming it endangered commercial airline safety.
- Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun accused the aircraft of conducting close reconnaissance and harassment in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, disrupting civil aviation and risking misunderstandings.
- China urged New Zealand to comply with international law, respect Chinese sovereignty, and ensure the safety and order of civil aviation operations.
- New Zealand has not yet responded to the protest, while Japan previously stated that a New Zealand P-8A based in Okinawa was monitoring illicit maritime activities related to North Korean sanctions enforcement.
- This incident marks the ninth patrol of this kind by New Zealand since 2018, though it is unclear if the aircraft involved in China's complaint was part of the recent sanctioned mission.
