- The Dutch Ministry of Defence said one of the country’s warships had been attacked by two Chinese fighter jets.
- They circled the HNLMS Tromp several times over the East China Sea last Friday, the paper said.
- The warship was part of efforts to enforce sanctions against North Korea.
A Dutch warship was harassed by two Chinese fighter jets last Friday while enforcing maritime sanctions against North Korea, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
According to the statement, the Chinese military aircraft circled the frigate Tromp several times as it was sailing in international waters.
It added that the warship’s patrol helicopter was also “approached” by the Chinese aircraft while patrolling the area.
“This created a potentially dangerous situation,” the statement said.
The Netherlands, a founding NATO member, is the latest country to say China has approached or threatened its warships or aircraft in the region.
In June 2023, China conducted a risky interception of a U.S. surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.
The United States also Released Records In October 2023, several cases of aggressive flying behaviour by Chinese aircraft were reported.
In April, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel collided with a Philippine ship within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
And as recently as May, Chinese jets fired flares near an Australian military helicopter over the Yellow Sea.
Ellie Ratner, the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said in 2022 that China’s aggressive actions around the South China Sea could ultimately lead to “significant incidents or accidents.”
According to the Dutch ministry, the HNLMS Tromp has been at sea since March, first sailing to the Red Sea and then to the Indo-Pacific in June.
According to a press release, the ship stopped in Busan, South Korea, on June 3 during its seven-month journey.
The warship was patrolling the East China Sea in support of a United Nations multinational group monitoring the implementation of maritime sanctions against North Korea.
The ministry said the ship was due to return to the Dutch city of Den Helder in mid-September via the Panama Canal and the Caribbean Sea.
