TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Chinese Ministry of National Defense accused the Netherlands of causing trouble in the East China Sea on Tuesday (June 11).

The Chinese defense ministry said a helicopter launched from the Dutch Navy ship HNLMS Tromp was “engaged in provocative activities east of Shanghai” on June 7. The Dutch naval vessel departed from Vietnam’s Haiphong Port on May 31 and sailed through the Taiwan Strait, VOA reported.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command sent verbal warnings and dispatched fighter jets to intercept the Dutch helicopter. These actions are “entirely legal, reasonable, professional, and conducted according to norms,” China's Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang (張曉剛) said.

Zhang claimed the Dutch side was creating an unsafe situation. He accused them of falsely carrying out a U.N. mission and displaying force in another country's territorial waters and airspace. “We warn the Dutch side to strictly restrain their military actions, as any infringement or provocation will be met with a firm Chinese counteraction,” he added.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence released a press release on June 7, saying two Chinese fighter jets “circled the naval ship HNLMS Tromp several times” in international airspace. Two Chinese fighter jets and a Chinese helicopter also intercepted the ship's NH90 maritime combat helicopter, creating “a potentially unsafe situation.” 

The Dutch said the ship was on patrol in the East China Sea as part of a multinational U.N. coalition enforcing maritime sanctions against North Korea.