China and Djibouti stress need to protect Red Sea shipping lanes

All countries should enjoy freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, China and Djibouti said in a joint statement following a meeting of their foreign ministers in Beijing, expressing concern about the deteriorating security situation.

Djibouti sits on the other side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have been battling Saudi-backed government forces and seeking to control the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast, disrupting some shipping.

In 2017, China formally opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti. The barren former French colony, which is about the size of Wales, is sandwiched between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia and also hosts US, Japanese and French bases.

The joint statement, released early on Thursday, said both China and Djibouti stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the strait, and “emphasised the right of merchant ships of all countries to exercise navigation rights in accordance with international law should be respected”.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →