Canadian defence minister Bill Blair informed the press on Friday that a Chinese military aircraft discharged flares toward a Canadian helicopter in international waters the previous Sunday. He stated that Ottawa intends to communicate its concerns to Beijing. This marks the second instance within a two-week period where Canada has raised accusations of unsafe conduct by China's air force. In mid-October, Minister Blair reported that a Chinese fighter jet had approached within five meters (approximately 16 feet) of a surveillance aircraft engaged in a United Nations mission.