CHINA'S MILITARY USES LASER ON GERMAN AIRCRAFT
A PLA Navy warship targeted a German aircraft with a laser during the European Union maritime security operation ASPIDES, a defensive drill aimed at protecting international shipping in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf from Houthi attacks. The unspecified Chinese vessel directed the laser at the aircraft while it was participating in the EU-led effort. "Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable," the German Foreign Office stated in a post on X. In response to the incident, the PRC ambassador was summoned to Germany's Federal Foreign Office. Up to 700 German armed forces personnel are involved in the mission, which is designed to safeguard key trade routes from Houthi threats. The operation also includes contributions from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. (Newsweek, July 8, 2025)
CHINA SENDS IRAN NEW SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE BATTERIES
China has transferred new surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries to Iran as Tehran works to rebuild its air defenses destroyed by Israel during their recent 12-day conflict. The deliveries took place after a de facto truce was reached between Iran and Israel on June 24th. It remains unclear how many SAMs Iran has received from China since the end of the fighting. Iran is paying for the missile systems with oil shipments. China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, with nearly 90 percent of Iran's crude and condensate exports flowing to Beijing. For several years, China has imported record volumes of Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions, often using countries such as Malaysia as transshipment hubs to conceal the crude's origin. (Middle East Eye, July 7, 2025)
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Iran is supplementing its existing inventory of older Chinese platforms and domestically produced batteries such as the Khordad series and the Bavar-373. Tehran had also used Russia's S-300, which can engage aircraft and UAVs and offers some cruise and ballistic missile defense capability. But these systems all proved unable to engage the U.S. F-35 fighters operated by Israel. China supplies Pakistan with the HQ-9 and HQ-16 SAM systems and has provided the HQ-9 to Egypt.]
IRAN EYES CHINA'S FIGHTER JETS
China is aiding Iran in modernizing its aging fleet of Cold War-era jets. Tehran wants to purchase the Chengdu J-10C, also known as the "Vigorous Dragon" — a 4.5th-generation multirole fighter previously exported only to Pakistan. The J-10C, which is central to China's expanding defense exports, is an alternative to the French Rafale and U.S. F-16. "We are willing to share the achievements of China's equipment development with friendly countries and contribute constructively to regional and global peace and stability," China's Ministry of National Defense has said. Following the recent ceasefire with Israel, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, in China for the SCO summit, met with Chinese officials to discuss purchasing the jets. The move reflects Tehran's frustration with Moscow following a stalled deal to acquire Su-35 aircraft, and only nominal Russian support during its conflict with Israel. (India Today, July 8, 2025)
PLA BOMBERS REPEATEDLY APPROACH JAPANESE AIRCRAFT
Earlier this month, a PLA Air Force JH-7 fighter-bomber repeatedly approached a Japanese YS-11 intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea, according to Japan's Defense Ministry. In the first incident, the Chinese aircraft came within 30 meters of the Japanese plane. The following day, another JH-7 closed in on the YS-11 multiple times over a 10-minute span, at approximately 60 meters. "These actions could provoke accidental collisions, and we strongly urge the Chinese government to ensure that similar actions do not recur," said Japanese Vice Minister Takehiro Funakoshi. In response, Japan's Foreign Ministry summoned PRC Ambassador Wu Jianghao to express "serious concerns," echoing a similar warning issued in June after a comparable incident. Meanwhile, the China Coast Guard expelled a Japanese fishing vessel from waters near the disputed area, vowing to continue "protection and law enforcement activities." (Nikkei Asia, July 11, 2025)
CHINA TO RESUME JAPANESE BEEF AND SEAFOOD IMPORTS... BUT WHEN?
China has announced that it will resume Japanese beef imports for the first time in 24 years. The deal was announced after Vice Premier He Lifeng met Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. This follows last month's agreement to lift China's ban on Japanese seafood, which had been imposed in after Japan released treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. China suspended beef imports in 2001, citing a mad cow disease outbreak. Although an agreement was signed in 2019, implementation has been delayed, and the timeline remains unclear as technical quarantine talks continue. Japanese leaders, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, have repeatedly urged China to restart imports. (Japan Times, July 11, 2025)
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