Chinese jets intercepted Canadian patrol aircraft on North Korea sanctions mission

The Canadian Armed Forces on Wednesday said Chinese fighter planes interrupted a Canadian aerial monitoring mission, at times forcing Canadian planes to change their flight paths to avoid collision.

The Canadian Air Force pilots were on a mission to monitor North Korea sanction evasions, Reuters reported.

Canadian aircraft were in the air as part of Ottawa’s “Operation NEON,” Canada’s contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea at sea – including “ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other supplies banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

According to a statement from the Canadian Armed Forces, between April 26 and May 26, aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) approached a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft.

"In these interactions, PLAAF aircraft did not adhere to international air safety norms," the statement said. "These interactions are unprofessional and/or put the safety of our RCAF personnel at risk."

The statement further revealed that Canadian pilots were often forced to change their flight path, fearing collision with the intercepting aircraft.

Interactions of this kind have raised concerns in Western capitals in recent months and are being reported with increased frequency, the RCAF noted, adding that missions occur during UN-approved operations to implement sanctions on North Korea.

Beijing, for its part, has said it has enforced the United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea, but last week joined Russia in vetoing a U.S.-led proposal for new sanctions against the Hermit Kingdom over its recent missile tests.

“Under current circumstances, ramping up sanctions won’t help solve the problem,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a Wednesday briefing.

Last week, China and Russia's air forces conducted a joint aerial patrol last week over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and the Western Pacific, the first such exercise since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.