China appears to rebuff U.S. calls for aid in safeguarding Red Sea

As the United States attempts to build an international coalition to patrol the Red Sea in response to maritime assaults by the Iran-backed Houthi faction in Yemen, China appears largely disinterested.

The Houthis control a swath of Yemeni territory in the northwestern third of the country, including much of the country's Red Sea coastline. The Iran-backed group has, in recent months, conducted a litany of maritime raids against commercial vessels and has further forced U.S. military vessels to intercept missiles fired from their territory.

The U.S. has since declared the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian to patrol the waterway and sought international partners to aid in the task. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin appeared on Thursday to respond in the negative.

"We believe relevant parties, especially major countries with influence, need to play a constructive and responsible role in keeping the shipping lanes safe in the Red Sea," he said, according to Politico. Wenbin's remarks follow warnings from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the threat the group posed.

China has pursued a rapid expansion of its navy over the past few years and, though its fleet does not yet rival that of the United States, military officials have warned that Chinese shipbuilding exceeds that of American output and presents a considerable advantage for Beijing in the event of a naval race.

"Unfortunately, China does have a significant advantage," Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in February.

Chinese ships, meanwhile, appear busy with security projects closer to home, with Beijing dispatching a flotilla of seven ships and 43 warplanes in an apparent display of force near Taiwan in November.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.