China concerned about Red Sea shipping attacks, envoy says

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for a halt to the attacks and harassment of civilian vessels and to respect and safeguard the freedom of navigation of all countries in the Red Sea.

China is concerned about the repeated attacks and seizure of merchant ships in the Red Sea over a period of time, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN.

Geng spoke at a Security Council open meeting about Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, amid a growing threat of spillover from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Geng said the Red Sea is an important corridor for the transportation of goods and energy. Ensuring the smooth flow of the waters and the safety of passing ships not only helps to maintain regional peace and stability but also contributes to the security of the global supply chain and international trade order, which is in line with the common interests of the international community, he said.

"China believes that all parties, especially influential powers, should play a constructive and responsible role in maintaining the safety of shipping lanes in the Red Sea," Geng said.

Geng noted that at present, the issue in Yemen, where the Houthis are based, is at a critical juncture. The tense situation in the Red Sea has brought new challenges to the political process in Yemen and added new complexities to the already volatile Middle East region, he said.

"China calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and restrained, adhere to dialogue and consultation, promote a political solution, refrain from any acts that aggravate the situation, and do their best to maintain the positive momentum of the political process in Yemen," Geng said.

Geng pointed out that the current tense situation in the Red Sea is one of the manifestations of the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict.

"The early realization of a cease-fire in Gaza and the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis there will help prevent further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the rest of the Middle East from being dragged into conflict and war," Geng said.

"China is ready to work with all parties to continue to make unremitting efforts to promote the cooling of tensions in the Red Sea, the political settlement of the Yemeni issue, the realization of a cease-fire in Gaza, and long-term peace and stability in the Middle East," he emphasized.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari told the council that "no cause or grievance" could justify continuing Houthi attacks against freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

He said the UN encourages all concerned parties to avoid further escalation and de-escalate tensions and threats.

"This is critical so that traffic through the Red Sea can return to its normal state and the risk of Yemen being dragged into a regional conflagration be avoided," said Khairi, adding that incidents originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen must stop.

Since the outbreak of the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Houthi group in Yemen has used missiles and drones to attack targets in Red Sea. The group on Wednesday launched more missiles targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea, Xinhua reported.

The Houthi group confirms that it will continue to prevent Israeli ships or those bound for Israel from sailing in the Red Sea and Arab Sea until food and medicine aid are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement.

A significant number of companies already are rerouting their ships around South Africa to reduce their risks, representing an additional 10 days to journeys on average, and negatively impacting international trade and freight costs, Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, told the council.

He reiterated his call for de-escalation "to ensure safety of our seafarers, freedom of navigation and stability of supply chains".