China and Djibouti call for freedom of navigation in Red Sea
China and Djibouti issued a joint statement calling for freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Both countries expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation and stressed that the rights of merchant ships should be respected under international law.
China and Djibouti have called for all countries to enjoy freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, expressing concern about the deteriorating security situation in the region. The joint statement was released following a meeting of their foreign ministers in Beijing, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.
Djibouti sits on the opposite side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have been battling Saudi-backed government forces. The Houthis have sought to control the entire Yemeni Red Sea coast, disrupting some shipping in the area.
The joint statement, released early on Thursday, said both countries stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the strait. It "emphasised that the right of merchant ships of all countries to exercise navigation rights in accordance with international law should be respected".
Both sides believe that in governing and securing the Red Sea, "the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and wishes of the Red Sea littoral states should be genuinely respected, avoiding any increase in the overall security risks of the region". China supports the littoral states of the Red Sea in "constructively maintaining" the safety and smooth flow of international shipping lanes.
Neither country wants regional tensions to spill further into the Red Sea. "Major powers outside the region" should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries and avoid resorting to force and unilateral sanctions, the statement added.
China formally opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017. The former French colony, about the size of Wales, also hosts US, Japanese and French military bases. The statement came as the US State Department ordered some diplomats and family members to depart from its missions in Saudi Arabia following the escalation of fighting in Yemen, which has opened another front in the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.