China urges opening Bab al-Mandeb in first joint statement with regional nation

In its first formal statement with a Red Sea nation on the fallout from the US-Iran war, China said in a joint communique with Djibouti that it backs “constructive efforts” to ensure international shipping lanes are safe and open.The statement on Thursday was released a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Djiboutian counterpart Abdoulkader Houssein Omar met in Beijing.“The two sides emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and stressed that the navigation rights exercised by merchant vessels of all countries in accordance with international law should be respected,” the communique said.“China supports Red Sea coastal states in constructively safeguarding the unobstructed and secure operation of international shipping lanes and protecting the region’s common interests.”