Canadian military plane subjected to 'unsafe' Chinese intercepts, DND says
A Canadian military patrol plane was repeatedly intercepted by Chinese military aircraft while deployed to the Indo-Pacific region last month, just as Defence Minister Anita Anand was preparing to announce a significant increase to Canada's military presence in the region.
The intercepts, some of which were described as dangerous by the Department of National Defence, mark at least the second such cluster of interactions between the two countries' air forces since the fall.
The recent interactions between the Canadian maritime patrol plane and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force mostly "took place in a safe and professional manner," a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said Monday, "however, some were deemed unsafe."
National Defence initially refused to confirm the intercepts in mid-May, citing security concerns as the CP-140 Aurora patrol plane, which had been deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan, was still operating in the region.
But in a statement to CTV News on Saturday, the department confirmed the Chinese had intercepted the Canadian plane as it flew more than a dozen sorties as part of a multinational mission to enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
"When interactions are deemed unsafe, Canada addresses them directly with China through the appropriate channels," a National Defence spokesperson said.
The Chinese defence ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment from CTV News.
The confirmation of the intercepts came on the same day that a Chinese navy vessel cut across the path of an American destroyer and a Canadian frigate in the Taiwan Strait, forcing the U.S. vessel to slow down to avoid a collision.
The U.S. military says the incident occurred as the USS Chung-Hoon and HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called "freedom of navigation" transit in the strait between Taiwan and mainland China.
A statement Saturday from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command says the Chinese guided-missile destroyer overtook the U.S. ship, crossing its bow at 150 yards and forcing it to slow to 10 knots to avoid a collision, in violation of maritime rules for safe passage in international waters.
The interaction occurred as Canada's defence minister was in Singapore announcing a new military operation to replace the Asia-Pacific portion of Canada's existing Operation Projection.
The new Operation Horizon will see one additional warship deployed to the Indo-Pacific region from Canada's West Coast, starting this summer.
Canada will also increase its participation in international exercises and strengthen its relationships with regional security partners, Anand said.
"As we forge ahead with a strong, multidimensional approach [in] this important region, we will challenge China when we ought to, and we will cooperate when we can," National Defence said in a news release concluding the Singapore trip on Saturday.
"We will continue to work alongside allies and partners in the region to promote a stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
London Drugs expected to give update on store status following 'cybersecurity incident'
Days after dozens of London Drugs locations closed due to a 'cybersecurity incident,' a spokesperson for the company says an update on the stores' status is expected Wednesday morning.
No criminal charges after 4 newborn bodies found in Boston freezer
A prosecutor in Massachusetts won't seek criminal charges against anyone, two years after four newborns were found in a freezer in a South Boston apartment.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.