The Red Sea has long been one of the world's most important logistics corridors for energy and industrial goods. Recently, however, the situation in the Red Sea has become increasingly tense due to the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The frequent attacks by the Houthis on merchant ships linked to Israel have had a huge impact on international shipping. To solve this problem, the United States decided to enlist a number of Western allies and form a multinational joint patrol operation to protect ships sailing in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks. Not only that, but the United States is also trying to invite China to participate in order to further strengthen the containment of the Houthis. However, the Houthis will not sit idly by and have sent war letters to 10 countries stating that they will take action against the ships of any coalition country.
In order to solve the problem of the surge of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the United States decided to organize a multinational joint patrol operation. According to the latest information, nine countries, including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, have agreed to participate in the operation. Together with the United States itself, a total of 10 countries are ready to conduct cruising activities in the waters of the Red Sea.
However, there is more to it than meets the eye. Although the United States claims that this is to provide escort for passing ships, in fact, their intentions will never be more than that. By organizing joint cruises, the United States tried to put pressure on the Houthis in exchange for them stopping their operations to attack merchant ships. However, the Houthis did not give in, and instead they showed their tough stance by issuing a war cry and threatened retaliatory attacks against countries with joint patrol operations.
Against this background, the situation in the Middle East has further escalated. The ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not only brought great suffering to Palestinian civilians, but has also brought more instability to the entire region. The United States has tried to co-opt China into a multinational cruise in the hope of further weakening the Houthis. However, China has not expressed a positive response to this, because they understand that the fundamental solution to regional issues lies in promoting a thorough settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue, not just treating the symptoms rather than the root causes.
In the face of the multinational patrols of the United States and its allies, the Houthis did not show weakness, but instead showed a tough stance and issued war letters to 10 countries. The Houthis have warned that they will carry out attacks against ships of countries of the international coalition that have joined the U.S. escort operation in the Red Sea, and said their group is capable of countering any coalition that the U.S. might deploy to the Red Sea.
The Houthis also made several suggestions to ship owners not to falsify their nationality and to avoid sailing under their own flag in order to avoid attacks. They stressed that they had no intention of attacking ships unrelated to Israel and accused the United States of committing to providing protection for Israeli ships and continuing the blockade of the Gaza Strip. They said they would be responsible for any escalation and militarization of the situation in the Red Sea.
However, the threat from the Houthis has not deterred the United States and its allies, who have insisted on cruising operations and responded to the threat of the Houthis. This makes the situation in the Red Sea even more tense and unstable.
In addition to inviting Western allies to participate in multinational cruises, Biden has also tried to invite China to participate. According to reports, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a point of mentioning the Houthi attack on merchant ships in the Red Sea during a long phone call with China, and tried to persuade China to join the multinational cruise.
However, China did not respond positively to this invitation. China understands that the U.S. purpose in wooing China to participate in multinational patrols is actually to weaken China's influence in the Red Sea region. China is one of the world's largest countries, with many merchant ships sailing the Red Sea, so it is extremely concerned about the stability and security of the region. However, China is more focused on solving problems through political and diplomatic means, rather than relying solely on military force.
In addition, China understands that mere cruising operations will not solve the problems in the Red Sea. The root cause of the Houthi attacks on merchant ships is the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and only by resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue can regional stability and security be achieved. Therefore, China does not want to be drawn into this endless Red Sea "melee".
Tensions in the Red Sea have intensified with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Houthi attacks. To solve this problem, the United States has organized multinational cruise operations in an attempt to maintain shipping security by containing the Houthis. Behind this action, however, lies a more complex political agenda. The Houthis are adamantly opposed to this action and have issued war letters to participating countries, threatening to attack them. At the same time, Biden also tried to invite China to participate, but China did not respond positively. The root cause of the current turmoil in the Red Sea region is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and long-term regional stability can only be achieved through the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The Red Sea "scuffle" is only a palliative, not a cure.