China's Military Presence in the Red Sea Region

The Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington published in January 2020 a study titled "The PLA Beyond Asia: China's Growing Military Presence in the Red Sea Region" by Joel Wuthnow, National Defense University.

The key finding is that China's People's Liberation Army presence in the Red Sea area, while currently modest, creates several challenges that U.S. officials will have to address. This includes questions of operational safety as U.S. and Chinese forces come into contact, risks of exposing the PLA to sensitive U.S. operations and capabilities, and the possibility that the attractiveness of the United States as a regional security partner could wane as China takes on increasing roles in the area.