China’s ‘two sessions’ 2024: Red Sea crisis ‘a big challenge’ for Beijing, says ambassador

Name: Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade
Uploaded: 2024-03-08T13:00:23.000Z
Duration: 10 min 26 s
Description: Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade

Liao Liqiang, the country’s ambassador to Egypt, told a panel discussion in Beijing that attacks on shipping ‘had a real impact on us’

The Houthis have said they will not target Chinese ships, but trade with the US and Europe is being affected and the country has extensive investments in Suez

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A downed cargo ship following a Houthi attack. Photo: AFP

Zhao Ziwenin Beijing

Published: 9:00pm, 8 Mar 2024Updated: 2:12pm, 12 Mar 2024

China’s diplomats in the Middle East are looking at ways to respond to the “big challenge” in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks on shipping, a senior diplomat has said.

The Yemeni rebel group has been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Liao Liqiang, the ambassador to Egypt, was speaking at a panel discussion on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body.

He said: “The Red Sea has emerged as a big challenge and had a real impact on us. In this regard, the diplomatic front line, especially in Egypt, which owns the Suez Canal, [we are looking at] how we can launch in-depth research to serve domestic high-quality development and put forward more pragmatic proposals for our foreign trade.”

The conflict in Gaza and the Red Sea crisis show no sign of ending, while the Arab world is closely watching China’s next move as a potential mediator in the region.

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Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade

Although the Houthis have said they will not target Chinese shipping, the disruption to trade is still having an effect on the world’s biggest exporter. The internationalised nature of the industry also means attacks on shipping could still directly or indirectly harm Chinese interests.