China requests that ships in the Red Sea cease their "harassment."

Citing the conflict between Israel and Hamas as the reason, China has demanded a halt to Houthi rebel attacks on civilian ships in the Red Sea and urged for a seamless global supply system.

"The top priority is to quell the war in Gaza as soon as possible to prevent the conflict from further expanding or even getting out of control," Mao said.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stated that they are attacking in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians as Israel fights Hamas militants in Gaza. U.S. and British forces have launched retaliation strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen in response to the violence.

Following a similar appeal by He Yadong, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Chinese and Russian boats have assured safety in the Red Sea. The waterways of the Red Sea are vital routes for international trade.

As long as their warships are unconnected to Israel, Russian and Chinese ships would be able to transit through the Red Sea without incident, according to a top Houthi official. Since 2007, almost $4 billion has been invested in Egyptian energy and logistics projects by China, the largest trading nation in the world.

For the transportation of its Middle Eastern crude oil imports and its trade with the European Union, China mostly depends on the Red Sea. These goods made for 53.5% of all imports in 2022. The price of oil has not changed much in spite of attacks on ships in the Red Sea. There is little to no effect to commercial interests due to the limited and isolated nature of the fight. China's naval facility in Djibouti might be able to protect ships from neutral nations who have business dealings with China without having to engage in joint operations with the US.

Via Voanews