Recently, the Houthi announced "immunity" for Chinese vessels in the Red Sea, triggering a series of unexpected ripple effects. Foreign ships have taken advantage of this privilege and taken extraordinary measures to ensure their own safety.
The situation in the Red Sea continues to escalate
As we all know, as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to deteriorate, the impact of the conflict has begun to spill over, and the development of the situation in the Red Sea has undoubtedly touched the nerves of countless people. According to comprehensive reports, the Houthis have blocked the Red Sea twice.
The first incident occurred on October 7 last year, when the Houthis blocked the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and attacked Israeli ships due to the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The second incident occurred between December 14 and 16 last year, when the Houthis claimed to have fired ** missiles at two ships heading for Israel, a move that directly led to the suspension of navigation in the Red Sea by several international shipping companies.
And the United States, which has always supported Israel, has also had an excuse to not only form a so-called multinational escort fleet, but also cooperate with Britain to carry out military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, as a warning to Yemen not to meddle.
China has "immunity".
It should be noted that the US military's attack on the Houthis has not improved the situation in the Red Sea region, and the Houthis are not afraid to resort to tough measures. A Houthi spokesman said that we do not understand what surrender is, and that the counterattack of the United States and Britain and other countries will only make us stronger. The US media also said that the Houthis have always held a firm confrontational attitude.
However, the Houthis are not hostile to all countries, and while resolutely confronting the United States, they give some special treatment to Chinese and Russian ships. According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on January 19, it can be known
In an interview with Izvestia on the 19th, a member of the Houthi Politburo, Mohammad Bakiti, said that ships from Russia and China can sail safely in the Red Sea, and he assured that the navigation of these ships in the sea area will not be threatened.
But ships implicated with Israel will not be able to cross the Red Sea, and they will still be attacked by the Houthis. Our purpose is not just to capture or sink, our mission is to increase the economic costs of the Jewish state in order to stop its large-scale operation in Gaza. If the vessels concerned ignore our warnings and do not change direction, there is a risk that the situation will escalate further.
An army of "rubbing boats" poured out on the Red Sea
Just after the Houthis announced the "immunity" of Chinese ships in the Red Sea, a series of unexpected ripple effects were set off in the region. At first, some cargo ships simply indicated their destination in China on their cargo documents, or indicated that they were carrying Chinese crews to avoid Houthi attacks.
Over time, some shipping companies have directly configured their existing cargo ships specifically for the Red Sea route, while those that do not have ready-made cargo ships have chosen to charter Chinese cargo ships to carry out the Red Sea route.
However, adjusting routes and chartering a cargo ship can be a challenge, taking time to familiarize yourself with new routes, understand the weather, and so on. In addition, the number of cargo ships in China is also limited, so the number of chartered ships is limited.
As a result, decision-makers at some of the big shipping companies have come up with a unique solution: when Chinese cargo ships pass through places like the Red Sea shipping lanes, they act en masse and force a "convoy" of Chinese cargo ships to safely cross the Red Sea in this unusual way.
It can be seen that China's influence in the Middle East has become increasingly significant, especially its stance and efforts on key issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have won the respect and trust of regional countries. However, while this tactic may seem effective in the short term, it can lead to safety risks, including potential maritime accidents, in the long term.