Laser attack in the Red Sea: China confronts German aircraft!

Laser attack in the Red Sea: China confronts German aircraft!

At the beginning of July 2025, an alarming incident occurred in the Red Sea when a German aircraft was targeted by a Chinese warship during the EU mission "Aspides" with a laser. The Federal Foreign Office described this behavior as "unacceptable" and ordered the Chinese ambassador Deng Hongbo. This diplomatic measure is considered a sharp signal that underlines the displeasure of the German government on the incident. According to the [Tagesschau] (https://www.tagesschau.de/eilmanden/china-auswaertiges-amt-amt-laser attack-100.html), the whole thing happened during a monitoring flight to ensure the trade routes in the context of the current tensions in the Red Sea.

The EU mission "Aspides" was launched in response to the increasing attacks by the Yemeni Huthi militia to international merchant ships. Since the beginning of the Gaza War in October 2023, the Huthi-Miliz has repeatedly reached into the Red Sea, which leads, among other things, to endanger the trade routes. This mission, which comprises up to 700 German armed forces, is intended to guarantee the protection of seafaring and reinforce the maritime surveillance. wikipedia Merchant ships.

background to the Huthi attacks

The Huthi militia, which is considered part of the "axis of resistance" listed by Iran, has expanded its attacks on maritime trade in the region. Already at the end of 2023, 44 countries, including Germany, expressed a uniform commitment to the attacks and asked for an immediate end of these threats. The UN Security Council condemned the actions on December 1, 2023 and, with Resolution 2722, called for an end to the attack on merchant ships, which was documented in detail by Foreign Office.

The security policy situation in the Red Sea remains tense, since several EU flagged ships have already attacked ships in the course of the conflict. This increased the need for a coordinated military answer. The EU mission will also work closely with Operation Atalanta, a further European naval surgery.

role of NATO and international reactions

In order to further stabilize the situation, the United States and the United Kingdom, supported by allies such as the Netherlands and Australia, carried out joint military actions against the Huthi in Yemen. These steps illustrate the overwhelming international endeavor to protect the safety of seafaring and the life of seafarers by taking malfunctions.

Although the EU and the international community are striving to find a way out of this precarious situation, it remains to be seen how the reactions of China and the Huthi militia are on the incident. It is clearly obvious: security on the trade routes in the Red Sea is not only for Europe, but globally of great importance.