Why hasn’t China joined US-led naval force against Houthi rebel attacks in Red Sea?
- Over 20 nations join US-led patrol as Houthi militants keep up attacks on Israel-linked commercial vessels in response to the assault on Gaza
- China may not take part unless its own ships are threatened, as it would not like to send mixed signals on the Gaza war, observers say
More than 20 countries have agreed to take part in a new US-led coalition to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthis, the Pentagon said last week.
However, despite the likely impact of the attacks on China’s own supply chains, Beijing might not take part in the anti-piracy drive until there are actual security threats to Chinese vessels, the observers said.
The Houthis’ actions are mainly concentrated around the Bab el-Mandeb strait from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden along the Yemeni coast – a unique energy corridor connecting to Egypt’s Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia.
The 193km (120-mile) canal, one of the world’s busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, accounts for 12 per cent of global trade, including 30 per cent of all container movement, according to Egypt’s State Information Service.
