China has disputed Germany's claim that it targeted a military plane with a laser fired from a warship, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries deepens.

In 2023, the Philippine coast guard accused its Chinese counterpart of deploying a high-powered laser against one of its ships near the Philippine-controlled Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, "causing temporary blindness" to some crew members. China routinely denies the accusations.

BEIJING: Beijing dismissed on Wednesday (Jul 9) claims by Berlin that the Chinese military had directed a laser at a German aircraft over the Red Sea as "completely inconsistent with the facts"