While most of the world’s shipping companies are rerouting around Africa to avoid Houthi missile strikes, China appears to have found a different solution: just ask nicely.
Beijing has been holding talks with Yemen’s Houthi rebels to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to global trade routes. The arrangement, which traces back to diplomatic discussions in Oman in early 2024, has allowed Chinese-flagged vessels to continue navigating waters that have become increasingly hostile to Western-linked shipping.
The deal in practice
On July 23, 2026, the Cosco Shipping supertanker Xin Long Yang, carrying approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil, was confirmed exiting the Red Sea after receiving clearances from Houthi authorities. That’s not a typo. A Chinese mega-tanker loaded with Saudi oil sailed through waters where the Houthis have been actively threatening strikes on Saudi-linked tankers.
The arrangement works on a case-by-case basis rather than through any formal treaty. Chinese vessels get waved through. Western-linked ships get turned away, or worse.
