Canada: China Should Play a Role in Maintaining Security in the Red Sea

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated on Sunday that "China needs to play a role in keeping the Red Sea safe for trade, as Chinese ships are also at risk." She also urged Beijing to stop assisting Russia in evading international sanctions. Joly mentioned in an interview with Reuters that she informed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a bilateral meeting on Saturday that Beijing should help influence the Houthis to keep the Red Sea open. She added, "This is in China's interest as an exporting country," noting that she discussed with her Chinese counterpart the importance of continuing the enforcement of Western sanctions on Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. She emphasized that "we need to exert maximum pressure on Russia... Our sanctions are strong, but China cannot be a loophole in our sanctions system."