Reuters published on 14 January 2024 an article titled "Egypt, China Stress Priority of Safety, Security of Red Sea Navigation."
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on 14 January in Cairo with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi where a major topic of discussion was the ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. While both officials called for an end to the attacks and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, Wang emphasized that the UN Security Council did not authorize the US and UK response to the Houthi attacks and was even unwilling to name the Houthis as responsible for the attacks.
Comment: China and, especially, Egypt have more to lose than the United States from a continuation of these attacks and disruption of commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It is surprising how tentative and even accepting China has been towards the Houthis.
