US Urges China to Use Influence on Iran to Pressure Houthis and Protect Trade Routes
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has appealed to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to utilize Beijing’s influence on Iran to urge the country to put an end to attacks by the Yemeni Houthi rebels on Red Sea trade routes. The request was made during a series of meetings in Bangkok between the officials. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the conflict in Ukraine, civil war in Myanmar, North Korea’s nuclear program, Israel’s conflict with Hamas, tensions in the South China Sea, fentanyl, and artificial intelligence.
The meeting between Sullivan and Wang marked their first interaction since October 26, when Wang visited Washington ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. During the summit, Xi held direct talks with US President Joe Biden, and commitments were made to resume military-to-military discussions and address the issue of illicit Chinese exports of precursors for fentanyl.
As part of the efforts to enhance cooperation, a working group on counternarcotics will be established, and discussions on military-maritime consultation and artificial intelligence regulation will be held in the Spring. The aim of these strategic channels of communication is to strengthen the relationship between the US and China.
The focus of the discussions was also on the escalating conflict in the Middle East, particularly the attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the US urged China to employ its influence over Iran to halt the Houthis’ attacks on trade ships passing through the Red Sea. These attacks have raised concerns about global trade, and both Hamas and the Houthis have been labeled as proxies of Iran. Although Iran is not directly controlling these groups, it is accused of providing funding and training. In response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the Houthis have targeted trade ships off the Yemeni coast.
China, being a major trading nation, has its own interests in protecting the Red Sea trade route and has significant leverage over Iran as one of its biggest buyers of oil. While the US recognizes China’s influence, it also acknowledges that it is China’s choice how it decides to use it.
The talks between Sullivan and Wang also touched on other pressing global issues. They discussed the civil war in Myanmar and the importance of providing humanitarian aid to the country. However, there is less optimism about China’s involvement in pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, as well as its provision of ballistic missiles to Russia.
Overall, the discussions aimed to build on the commitments made during the previous summit between the US and China. The US continues to seek China’s cooperation in addressing various global challenges and maintaining open lines of communication.
The next step in this ongoing dialogue will involve establishing a counternarcotics working group to address drug trafficking issues. Additionally, both sides will schedule meetings for military-maritime consultation and discussions on regulating artificial intelligence. A phone call between the leaders of the two nations is also expected to take place in the coming months.
The US is hopeful that China’s influence and collaboration will contribute to resolving conflicts and promoting stability in different regions around the world.
