Overview

• On July 2 a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel allegedly fired a laser at a Bundeswehr reconnaissance aircraft conducting an EU patrol over the Red Sea.
• Germany summoned Ambassador Deng Hongbo and lodged formal protests through the Auswärtiges Amt and the Kanzleramt, calling on China to alter its conduct in the region.
• Berlin insists its accusation is based on solid preliminary findings even as China’s Foreign Ministry rejects the German account.
• Investigators continue probing the incident while diplomatic channels remain active ahead of Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s planned visit to Germany.
• The episode underscores growing Sino-German friction over rules of engagement, freedom of navigation and the safety of military reconnaissance operations.