China has disputed Germany's claim that it targeted a military plane with a laser fired from a warship, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries deepens.

The Chinese military employed a laser targeting a German aircraft in the EU operation #ASPIDES. Endangering German personnel & disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable. The Chinese ambassador was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office today.

China has dismissed Germany’s accusation that a Chinese warship targeted a German military aircraft with a laser, escalating tensions between the two nations. Earlier this month, Germany claimed that China sought to interfere with one of its military planes during an operation under the European Union’s mission to safeguard vessels in the Red Sea from missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.