The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Friday on a China-drafted resolution condemning Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, following a joint request from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states seeking renewed international pressure on the Yemeni group.
The draft circulated after the Council convened this week at the request of Saudi Arabia and Gulf partners alarmed by renewed Houthi strikes on commercial vessels. Arab diplomats pushed Beijing to sponsor the text, calculating that Chinese authorship would carry weight with states wary of Western-led action in the region.
The resolution calls for condemnation of the attacks and reaffirms freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandab strait. The United States and United Kingdom pressed for stronger enforcement provisions, while Russia resisted language that could authorise expanded military measures against Houthi targets.
The outcome will test whether China, which brokered the 2023 Saudi-Iran rapprochement and expanded its diplomatic role in the Gulf since, can secure consensus on a security file long dominated by Washington. A Saudi mission spokesperson said the kingdom sought a unified Council response to protect maritime trade.
Houthi attacks have disrupted one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, forcing vessels to reroute around southern Africa and raising insurance and freight costs. The International Chamber of Shipping and other shipping industry bodies have repeatedly urged the Council to act decisively.