All countries should enjoy freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb 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, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Source: Reuters

The joint statement, released early on Thursday and carried by China's official Xinhua news agency, stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the strait, and "emphasised that the right of merchant ships of all countries to exercise navigation rights in accordance with international law should be respected".

Source: China-Djibouti joint statement via Xinhua, reported by Reuters

"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," the statement said. It added that neither country wants regional tensions to spill further into the Red Sea, and that "major powers outside the region" should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries and avoid resorting to force and unilateral sanctions.

China supports the littoral states of the Red Sea in "constructively maintaining" the safety and smooth flow of international shipping lanes, the statement said. The Red Sea route matters far beyond the region: it is one of the world's main shipping corridors, and disruption there pushes up oil, freight and goods costs worldwide — including for India and for Punjabi and Indian workers whose jobs and remittances are tied to the Gulf.

Djibouti sits on the other side of the Bab el-Mandeb 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, Reuters noted. In 2017, China formally opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti. The former French colony, about the size of Wales, sits between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia and also hosts US, Japanese and French bases.

What is solid

  • China and Djibouti issued a joint statement after their foreign ministers met in Beijing, released early Thursday and carried by Xinhua
  • The statement says all countries should enjoy freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and merchant ships' navigation rights under international law should be respected
  • China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017; Djibouti also hosts US, Japanese and French bases

What is only claimed

  • The statement's call for outside 'major powers' to avoid force and unilateral sanctions is the two governments' stated position, reported here as their position — not as an agreed international rule