China’s government turned down the U.S’ request to join an international naval armada to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea.
The U.S’ request came after the waterway came under attack from Houthi rebels, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell revealed recently, as Beijing sought to cut its own deal with the Iran-backed rebels to protect its shipping interests.
China turned down the role in the naval coalition based on an internal assessment that the Israeli war on Gaza and the shipping attacks were a significant setback for the U.S. global image, a Western diplomatic source said. Beijing calculated that its participation would benefit Washington — its major strategic rival — and therefore declined to take part, the source added.