China Urges Restraint Amid Yemen, Red Sea Escalation
China Urges Restraint Amid Yemen, Red Sea Escalation
Anonymous
Key Points
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Iran and the United States to return to the “Islamabad memorandum” and rebuild their negotiation mechanism on the basis of agreements reached so far. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made a one-day visit to Beijing for the talks.
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China is the main buyer of Iranian oil and has repeatedly called for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while largely avoiding direct criticism of Tehran’s threats to shipping. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said current President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss Iran and China’s financial links with Tehran.
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At the U.N., China said it supports the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and stressed that merchant vessels’ navigation rights in the Red Sea must be respected in accordance with international law.
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The renewed violence threatens a relative calm that had largely held since April 2022. The conflict began after the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia to lead a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and contributing to a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
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Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down the East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack on a section running through Riyadh and Madinah on Sept. 10; Saudi officials said the drones originated in Iraq, while the Houthi-run Almasirah channel reported that Saudi airstrikes struck Saada province and shelled the Monabbih border region.
China is pushing hard for peace in the Middle East, warning that fighting in Yemen and the Red Sea could spiral into a bigger crisis. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Iran's top diplomat this week and called on both Iran and the United States to step back, restart talks, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz for safe shipping China State Media.
The push comes after recent drone attacks on Saudi oil pipelines and new clashes between Saudi forces and Yemen's Houthis threatened to end a calm that had lasted since April 2022. Saudi Arabia reported 73 civilians injured in recent strikes Saudi Press Agency, and the country temporarily shut down a major pipeline carrying 4 million barrels of oil per day Energy Analysts. China, which buys more Iranian oil than any other country, has the most to lose if shipping lanes close or violence spreads.
Beijing Calls for Return to Stalled Nuclear Talks
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi that both sides must go back to the 'Islamabad Memorandum' — an earlier agreement on nuclear talks Tribune India. Wang said Iran and the United States should 'stay rational and exercise restraint' and rebuild their negotiation channels South China Morning Post.
Araqchi, who visited Beijing for one day of emergency talks, said Tehran does not want to keep fighting and is ready to return to diplomacy. He noted that Iran has a plan with Oman to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping Iran Foreign Ministry. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil passages, and any closure would spike global energy prices.
Saudi Pipeline Attack Threatens Global Oil Supplies
On September 10, drones struck Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline in two locations near Riyadh and Madinah Saudi News Agency. The pipeline normally carries 4 million barrels of oil per day — a crucial bypass around the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia shut down the pipeline as a safety measure, removing a key safety valve for the world's oil supply Reuters.
Saudi officials say the drones came from Iraq, while Houthi-run media claimed responsibility and said they were retaliating for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen Almasirah. Oil prices jumped immediately, with Brent crude surging past $107 per barrel Energy Markets. The closure threatens to keep global crude prices high if fighting continues.
Fragile Yemen Peace Crumbles After Four Years
Yemen had enjoyed relative calm since April 2022, when the United Nations brokered a truce between Saudi forces and the Houthis UN Peacekeeping. But the fighting that started in late 2014 — when Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa — left the country devastated by war and humanitarian crisis Human Rights Watch.
China told the UN that all sides in Yemen must stop fighting, protect civilians, and return to peace talks China UN Statement. Beijing also said that merchant ships must have the right to sail safely through the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital chokepoint for world trade International Law. A return to full-scale war threatens millions of Yemeni civilians and could clog one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
China Stuck Between Iran Ties and Gulf Allies
China faces a delicate balancing act. It buys more Iranian oil than any country in the world, but it also wants stable relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states Energy Data. Beijing has privately asked Iran to use its influence over the Houthis to stop attacks on Red Sea shipping, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Secretary said Washington plans to raise China's financial ties to Iran during upcoming talks between President Trump and President Xi Jinping Treasury Statement. The U.S. is also expanding sanctions on companies that help Iran State Department. China's diplomatic push for peace reflects its urgent need to keep shipping lanes open and avoid being caught in a wider conflict.
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