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According to German officials, the laser beam targeted the plane, forcing it to abort its mission and return to a nearby base. Germany’s foreign ministry decried the act as unsafe and unacceptable, emphasizing that such laser targeting endangers personnel and equipment.
China denies these allegations, asserting that its warship was conducting escort operations and did not target the German aircraft. Chinese officials called on Berlin to "strengthen communication" and seek fact-based assessments to avoid misunderstandings. This denial aligns with China's typical stance of dismissing or downplaying incidents that cast it in a negative light.