Opinion | China’s inaction over Red Sea shipping attacks could exact a high price

As the United States and its allies grapple with a wave of attacks on commercial ships by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, China is conspicuously absent from international efforts to protect shipping in the Red Sea.

US-led efforts so far have focused on defensive actions, intercepting Houthi drones and missiles on ships near the Yemeni coast, even as a diplomatic outreach is under way. The US is reportedly even considering joint military strikes to cripple the base of the Iranian-backed Houthis but remains wary of igniting a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, which is negotiating a peace deal with the Houthis after being embroiled in Yemen’s civil war for years, has no desire to upend its fragile ceasefire.

Since the Israel-Gaza war broke out, Chinese officials have held several meetings with their Iranian counterparts to prevent the conflict from widening – Iran also backs Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group with a history of border skirmishes with Israeli forces. At a meeting earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian accused the US, the key supporter of Israel, of not fully understanding the risks of escalation.

In response to Israel’s military assault on Gaza, Iranian-backed forces have carried out various attacks. Particularly alarming are those from the Houthis, who have fired drones and missiles at or seized over a dozen shipping vessels linked to more than 35 countries. They have pledged to attack any ship heading to Israeli ports unless a humanitarian ceasefire is achieved and aid provided to Gaza residents.