Germany summoned the Chinese ambassador to the foreign ministry on Tuesday after saying China's military had laser-targeted a German aircraft taking part in an EU operation in the Red Sea, an account Beijing denied.

A Newsweek map shows all reported incidents of the Chinese military targeting U.S. or allied aircraft and ships with high-powered lasers. Germany said this week a Chinese navy ship used a high-powered laser on a German reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Red Sea area as part of an EU operation to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The European Union, following Germany's lead, has summoned the Chinese ambassador over an incident involving the use of a laser against a German military aircraft during a security mission, The Guardian reports.