Chinese Regime Sending Mixed Signals Over Houthi Attacks on Civilian Ships

Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels have ‘brought China a great deal of benefits’

Photo released by the Houthi Media Center shows Houthi forces boarding the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, on Nov. 19, 2023. The Canadian Press/AP-HO, Houthi Media Center AP Third Party

Yemen’s Houthi terrorists have launched multiple attacks on civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea and have threatened the global trade route, leading to recent U.S.-led strikes against the group. Amid the conflict, the ambiguous stance of the Chinese regime has come into question.

At a press conference on Jan. 12, when asked whether China supported the U.S.-led strikes against the Houthis, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that China was “concerned” about the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea and called on all sides to “exercise restraint” to avoid a widening of the conflict.