On October 18, 2023, the Global Times, the Chinese government’s primary English-language online news outlet, falsely accused Canada of violating Chinese airspace. According to their report, a “Canadian CP-140 plane illegally entered China’s airspace,” purportedly posing a threat to China’s national security. However, this claim contradicts the accounts by officials and journalists who were witnessed the incident.
Canadian reporters from Global News were present on the CP-140 aircraft during the incident. The plane was intercepted multiple times by Chinese Air Force fighter jets, with one encounter dangerously close to the Canadian aircraft. Global News subsequently released video footage of the encounter, providing a visual record of the events.
Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston, commander of Canada’s 1st Air Division and aboard the Canadian aircraft, asserted, during the incident, that the CP-140 was “solidly in international airspace.” He described the Chinese intercept as “unprofessional” and “very aggressive,” countering the Global Times’ claims.
The narrative propagated by the Chinese government through the Global Times appears to be a deliberate attempt to shift blame onto the Canadian Armed Forces and government. This tactic aligns with a recurring Chinese government’s pattern of denying, deflecting and distorting facts to advance its own interests.
The incident on October 18, 2023, underscores the importance of scrutinizing information from sources controlled by authoritarian regimes. In this case, the Global Times’ allegations against Canada have been contradicted by eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and statements from authoritative Canadian sources.
