Alwaght- The US and China have traded accusations after an incident involving their militaries in the tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti.
The US has filed a complaint against China over an alleged military laser incident in Djibouti, which hosts both US and Chinese military bases. Beijing slammed the “untrue criticisms,” saying it abides by international law.
On Thursday, the Pentagon accused China of pointing military-grade lasers at a US C-130 Hercules while it was landing at the American base in the Horn of Africa. It said two pilots suffered minor injuries and that the US is confident the Chinese were behind the incident, the exact timing of which is unclear.
“This activity poses a true threat to our airmen. We have formally demarched the Chinese government, and we’ve requested that the Chinese investigate these – these incidents,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said at a news briefing.
While the US officials did not elaborate on how the pilots were injured, sources said the crew of the C-130 suffered eye injuries.
China lambasted the allegations on Friday, with the defense ministry saying that it had “already refuted the untrue criticisms via official channels” and stressing that Beijing “strictly abides by international law and laws of the local country, and is committed to protecting regional security and stability.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the US allegations are “inconsistent” with the facts.
The incident in Djibouti heightened tensions between China and the US with Washington worried about China's growing military assertiveness in a vast region from the Horn of Africa to the Pacific. The modernization of China’s military has been a major objective of the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, who has recently presided over displays of military might on land and sea and thus challenge American military hegemony globally, especially in Asia.
The Chinese military outpost in Djibouti, the country’s first overseas base, officially opened in 2017. It is just miles from the only permanent US military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier hosting about 4,000 American military personnel.
Djibouti lies on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, the narrowest point of the Red Sea opposite Yemen and one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. France, Italy and Japan also have military bases in the country.
