US military, media cooking up phony laser stories: experts

The US should view China’s Djibouti base in an objective way and stop making up stories such as “laser attacks,” Chinese military observers said on Wednesday.

The US military has warned pilots near the African country to exercise “extreme caution” and notify authorities of “unauthorized laser activity,” according to some US media reports.

Jane’s Defense Weekly reported that the laser coordinates matched with Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden, about 750 meters from China’s base.

China is a signatory of the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons, but has been accused of producing them, the British magazine said.

The US is used to making up stories to throw mud at China, a military expert said.

“China’s Djibouti base is quite small and serves as logistical support. The US should treat the base with a fair attitude and stop making up rumors about it,” he said.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army support base in Djibouti was established on August 1, 2017. It is China’s first overseas base.

The US aircraft threatened our base, another source said.

The accusation that China used a laser weapon in Djibouti is groundless as it was based on false accusations that China has a history of making laser weaponry and the location is near China’s base, the military expert told the Global Times.