China called for an end to the “harassment” of civilian vessels in the Red Sea on Friday after attacks on ships by Houthi rebels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Houthi aggression against shipping vessels in and around the Red Sea has led to retaliatory strikes in Yemen by U.S. and British forces.
Some shipping firms are avoiding the crucial trade artery, causing delays along international trade routes.
Beijing emphasized Friday the area was an “important international trade route for goods and energy.”
“We call for an end to the harassment of civilian vessels, in order to maintain the smooth flow of global production and supply chains and the international trade order,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
In an interview published Friday, a senior Houthi official promised safe passage for Russian and Chinese vessels through the Red Sea.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said the waters around Yemen were safe so long as vessels were not linked to certain countries, particularly Israel.
That followed similar calls by Beijing’s Commerce Ministry on those in the region to “restore and ensure the safety of waterways in the Red Sea.”
“It is hoped that the relevant parties will proceed from the overall interests of regional security and stability as well as the common interests of the international community,” ministry spokesperson He Yadong said Thursday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The Houthis claimed early Friday another attack on a U.S. ship after the United States launched fresh strikes on rebel targets the day before.
The group has launched numerous attacks in the vital shipping lanes around Yemen since the war in Gaza erupted on October 7 with Hamas’s bloody terror attack on Israel.
Beijing reiterated Friday that the Red Sea tensions were linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.
“The top priority is to quell the war in Gaza as soon as possible to prevent the conflict from further expanding or even getting out of control,” Mao said.
