China, Djibouti stress regional security

China and Djibouti have called for the Horn of Africa to be kept free from geopolitical rivalry and warned against allowing conflicts in the Middle East to spill over into the region, amid escalating fighting in Yemen and growing threats to shipping through the Red Sea.

The two sides also highlighted the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stressing that the right of merchant ships of all countries to exercise navigation rights in accordance with international law should be respected, according to a joint communique issued on Thursday.

The communique was released after a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Djibouti's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdoulkader Houssein Omar.

China and Djibouti agreed that the recent escalation of tensions in the Red Sea has posed a serious threat to the global economy, particularly economic activities in countries in the Horn of Africa, while exacerbating security challenges such as piracy and terrorism, the communique said.

Neither country wants regional tensions to spill further into the Red Sea area, it said, adding that China and Djibouti called on all parties to abide by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, uphold the basic norms of international law, and prevent further escalation of regional tensions through dialogue and diplomatic means.

Both sides agreed that easing tensions in the Middle East is key to addressing security challenges in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

The two ministers reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, and called for earnest implementation of the ceasefire agreement to achieve genuine and lasting peace in Gaza. They also called for implementation of the two-state solution and for a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict through diplomatic means.

Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University, noted that the conflict in Gaza has already spilled over into countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and the Horn of Africa, and said its repercussions will continue to spread unless the conflicts in the Middle East are resolved.

Niu said that the region is of vital importance to China's trade and energy interests, making regional peace and stability a major concern for Beijing.

China has consistently opposed interference with navigation through international straits and advocated resolving conflicts in the Middle East through dialogue, he said, adding that the joint communique reaffirmed and reinforced China's long-standing position.

China has no selfish interests in the Middle East, and its interests lie in promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity, he said.

"This allows China to play a neutral, positive and constructive role in regional affairs," he added.