NZ defends military flight near China

New Zealand has firmly rejected China's allegations that a New Zealand P-8A patrol aircraft conducted 'irresponsible surveillance' and harassment in Chinese airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Beijing claimed the flight threatened its security interests and risked miscalculation. The New Zealand Defence Force strongly pushed back, stating the flight was part of a UN-sanctioned mission to enforce sanctions on North Korea, not to surveil China. The incident marks a fresh diplomatic flashpoint between the two nations.