Canada is aware of recent air and maritime surveillance attempts by China and has thwarted such efforts since last year, the Canadian defence ministry said.

The Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Tuesday the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spotted Chinese monitoring buoys in the Arctic last year as part of an effort to provide early detection of threats to Canada’s security. A spokesman for Canada’s defence ministry declined to provide details.

“The CAF are fully aware of recent efforts by China to conduct surveillance operations in Canadian airspace and maritime approaches,” the spokesman said, adding the forces had stopped attempts to surveil Canadian territory since 2022.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Over the weekend, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said the US handling of the balloon incident had been “unimaginable” and “hysterical,” an “absurd” act that had violated international norms.###