China has vehemently opposed the recent military actions led by the United States against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, denouncing them as contradictory and irresponsible. The strikes, carried out on Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13, have drawn sharp criticism from Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
In a statement on Saturday, Zhang expressed deep regret over the military operations, stating that they have resulted in “infrastructure damage and civilian deaths.” He condemned the U.S.’s actions, asserting that they not only fail to safeguard the safety and navigation freedom of commercial ships but also hinder political progress in Yemen.
“The escalation of tensions in the Red Sea is one of the ripple effects stemming from the Palestine-Israel conflict,” Zhang remarked. “Hoping the conflict in Gaza will not spill over while passively indulging it to drag on is a naive illusion. It is contradictory and irresponsible to incite military confrontations and exacerbate tensions while simultaneously calling for an end to further spillover effects.”
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China’s critique challenges the efficacy and goals of the multilateral coalition’s intervention, emphasizing that military operations are highly unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes. The Chinese government contends that the strikes, occurring in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict, signify a troubling escalation of tensions.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, the U.S. Central Command reported a “follow-on action” conducted by the Navy destroyer USS Carney, deploying Tomahawk land attack missiles on Saturday, marking the second consecutive day of strikes against the Houthi rebels.
The initial multilateral coalition strikes on Friday involved military forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. Over 150 munitions were deployed to target more than 60 locations associated with the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
China’s criticism, articulated amidst the escalating conflict, reflects a broader skepticism about the efficacy and motivations behind the coalition’s intervention in Yemen. The assertion of contradiction and irresponsibility by the Chinese government questions the broader implications of military actions in the region, setting the stage for potential diplomatic tensions between China and the U.S.-led coalition.
