‘Malicious act’: China, Canada lock horns over chopper incident

China’s defense ministry has criticized Canada for jeopardizing its sovereignty and security by flying a helicopter close to its territory in the South China Sea. This comes after Canada accused Chinese warplanes of buzzing a Canadian helicopter and firing flares at it. China stated that the Canadian helicopter violated Chinese and international laws, calling it a “malicious” and “provocative” act. The Canadian defense minister described the Chinese maneuvers as significantly unsafe and a risk to personnel.