China and the Houthis: Sounds of Silence

While attacks by the Houthis on Israel and civilian shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait continue to mark the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, China has been virtually silent, with no significant condemnation, and certainly no concrete action. China has also refrained from joining the US- initiated task force to protect navigation in the region, and its warships have failed to respond to distress calls from attacked ships.