chapotraphouse

Hands off is better than actively supporting Israel I guess.

China is in the same place as all the other post-industrial nations wrt the Suez Canal. They need to play nice with everyone in the region to keep trade flowing. The Chinese policy response to every conflict in the region is to be diplomatic and remain unaligned so that when this finally burns itself out they won't be on the wrong side.

But they're also a major trade partner with Israel too right?

Israel de facto controls the Suez. They've got a knife to the neck of Israel and a gun pointed at Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. That's what gives them so much clout in the region.

Since the Chinese have their eyes on the development of Western Africa and the Red Sea is a vital trade corridor into Europe and the more densely populated areas of the Middle East, they're functionally in bed with Israel whether they want to be or not. In that light, the Houthis closing the canal fuck them as much as anyone.

But unlike the dipshits at the Pentagon, Chinese officials are continuing to pursue a non-confrontational strategy of deescalation.