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Middle East
This Week in AsiaOpinion
Alessandro Arduino
Alessandro Arduino

Opinion | China’s response to mounting maritime perils: private security firms, high-seas arms caches

  • Chinese private security companies have been forming their own response to attacks on Red Sea shipping by Yemen’s Houthi militant group
  • The challenge for Beijing lies in effectively regulating the industry – and avoiding the examples set by Blackwater in the US or Russia’s Wagner Group

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A Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released by the group on November 20. Photo: Houthi Military Media/Handout via Reuters
Alessandro Arduino
Maritime security is back in the global spotlight after a Yemeni militant group, the Houthis, began engaging in marauding activities in the Red Sea. While the US is leading its own multinational coalition to safeguard commercial traffic along the essential maritime route, Chinese private security companies have joined together to form their own response: the Alliance of Security and Risk Management Companies.
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More than 70 representatives from both Chinese and global security firms met in Macau last month to coordinate the endeavour, which focuses on the maritime security needs of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The Houthi’s attacks have focused on the Bab el Mandeb choke point in the Red Sea. The strait is a crucial component of one of the world’s most essential maritime routes, connecting the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. It facilitates the constant flow of millions of barrels of oil every day and contributes to 12 per cent of global trade.

The Houthis started their marauding campaign in late November by hijacking the commercial vessel Galaxy Leader, citing their backing of the Palestinian cause against Israel.

Today, the threat spectrum has broadened. It’s no longer just Israeli-owned vessels in the cross hairs but anyone traversing the Bab el Mandeb strait, dealing a significant blow to global trade and energy security.

While the United States has assembled a coalition to provide military escort to commercial vessels, most Arab nations bordering the Red Sea have refrained from joining the initiative – a stance that might embolden the Houthis to escalate their assaults further.

The Chinese private security sector also aims to address this security void, with a pivotal role being played by Huaxin Zhongan Group, a Chinese company that helped drive the creation of the Alliance and a major force in maritime security solutions.

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