China and Djibouti Call for Freedom of Navigation Amid Red Sea Security Concerns

China and Djibouti have asserted that all nations should enjoy unhindered freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The position was outlined in a joint statement released following a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Beijing, which highlighted growing international anxiety over the deteriorating security situation in the vital maritime corridor.

The strategic geography of the region places Djibouti directly across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen. In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi forces have been engaged in conflict with Saudi-backed government forces as part of an ongoing struggle to control the country’s entire Red Sea coastline, a campaign that has severely disrupted international commercial shipping.

Djibouti occupies a uniquely strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea. The small nation, roughly the size of Wales, is bordered by Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. In 2017, Beijing formally established its first overseas military base in the country. Beyond the Chinese facility, the territory hosts military installations operated by the United States, Japan, and France.

The joint statement, published early Thursday, emphasized that the navigation rights of merchant vessels belonging to all countries must be respected in strict accordance with international law. Both governments underscored that efforts to govern and secure the Red Sea must genuinely respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political will of the littoral states bordering the waterway, arguing that outside interference risks amplifying overall regional security hazards.

According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, Beijing backs the littoral states in their constructive efforts to maintain the safety and fluid operation of international shipping lanes. The statement cautioned against allowing regional tensions to spill over further into the Red Sea corridor. It urged major powers operating outside the region to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of local nations while avoiding the use of force and unilateral sanctions.

The diplomatic release coincided with operational adjustments by Western powers in the region. The United States State Department ordered certain diplomats and their family members to leave diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia following an escalation of fighting in Yemen. That conflict has created an additional front in a broader regional crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.