China Harassed Dutch Warship Enforcing UN Sanctions On North Korea

A Dutch warship was harassed by Chinese military aircraft in the East China Sea late last week, the Netherlands said, becoming the latest country to accuse Beijing’s forces of initiating potentially unsafe encounters in international waters, Brad Lendon reported for CNN.

The Tromp was operating in the East China Sea in support of a multinational coalition enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea, known as the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange (PSMX). I Photo: Marine Elektronisch en Optisch Bedrijf (MEOB) Wikimedia Commons

In a statement, the Dutch Defense Ministry said two Chinese fighter jets circled the frigate HNLMS Tromp several times, while its marine patrol helicopter was “approached” by two Chinese warplanes and a helicopter during a patrol.

“This created a potentially unsafe situation,” the statement said. The UN Security Council has passed multiple resolutions since 2006 imposing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear weapons program.

The Tromp was operating in the East China Sea in support of a multinational coalition enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea, known as the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange (PSMX), the European Union (EU) said.

Last month, Australia accused a Chinese fighter jet of firing flares into the path of a naval helicopter operating from the destroyer HMAS Hobart over international waters of the Yellow Sea.

The Hobart was also enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea.

The incident was similar to an encounter in late October 2023, when Canada said a Chinese fighter jet fired flares into the path of a Canadian military helicopter over the South China Sea.