China’s disinterest in Red Sea policing role underscores Beijing’s reluctance to back its rhetoric on Middle East peace with substantive action.

China’s disinterest in Red Sea policing role underscores Beijing’s reluctance to back its rhetoric on Middle East peace with substantive action.

The Chinese government appears to be brushing off Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for Beijing to assist an international coalition in protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Beijing signaled that it has no interest in joining the Pentagon’s Operation Prosperity Guardian , a multinational force including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain, in providing security for cargo ships under threat of Houthi attack.

“We believe relevant parties, especially major countries with influence, need to play a constructive and responsible role in keeping the shipping lanes safe in the Red Sea,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday in an indirect reference to U.S. military and diplomatic heft in the region.

  • Justas🇱🇹English
    41·
    11 months ago

    The reality is that the Chinese have very limited power projection capabilities and could not help anyone in the Red Sea if their future depended on it.

    • Why9@lemmy.worldEnglish
      54·
      11 months ago

      How can you possibly arrive at this conclusion? There’s no evidence for this whatsoever.

      The US asking for China’s help is also a way of getting China to reveal what kind of arsenal it has at its disposal. China staying out if it makes perfect sense.

      This conflict would stop if the US stopped supplying Israel, and condemned them and imposed sanctions on them. Following an Israeli ceasefire, the houthis would have no reason to continue their attacks and the problem would be resolved.