China refutes Canada's hype of military aircraft encounter

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The actions taken by the Chinese military in an encounter with Canadian military aircraft in the South China Sea were professional and standard, said a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense on Saturday.

The move by the Canadian side violates China's domestic laws and relevant international laws, endangers China's sovereignty and security, and is a provocative act with ulterior motives, said Zhang Xiaogang when commenting on a recent statement of the Canadian Department of National Defense.

Zhang said that the Canadian Navy's frigate HMCS Ottawa had dispatched two sorties of ship-borne helicopters to approach China's territorial air space in Xisha Islands in the South China Sea with unknown intentions.

Despite repeated warnings issued from the Chinese side, the Canadian helicopter not only refused to respond but also took provocative actions such as flying at ultra-low altitude, Zhang said, adding that after the incident the Canadian side accused China through the media.

Zhang urged the Canadian side to respect facts, stop hyping up the incident and strictly restrain the actions of its frontline naval and air forces.

"The Chinese military is always on high alert and ready to resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," Zhang said.