Foreign Policy published on 14 February 2024 a commentary titled "What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals About China's Middle East Strategy" by Jon B. Alterman, Center for Strategic and International Studies.
There has been no sign of Chinese mediation and little sign of Chinese diplomacy on the conflict in Gaza and the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. China is finding it difficult to conduct diplomacy in the Red Sea region and is demonstrating an aversion to doing hard things that serve common benefit. Instead, Chinese officials are hunkering down and looking for marginal ways to advance their own interests at the expense of partners.
