Kuala Lampur, April 18 --  

WELLINGTON, April 18 - New Zealand rejected today Beijing's allegations of "disruptive and irresponsible" military surveillance in Chinese airspace and insisted its maneuvers were part of UN-backed efforts to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

Beijing said yesterday that a New Zealand P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft had engaged in "close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace" in the Yellow and East China seas.

A spokesman for China's foreign ministry told reporters at a press briefing that the moves "undermined China's security interests, increased risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and gravely disrupted the order of civil aviation in relevant airspace".

In response t...