The Chinese perspective on the Yemen crisis

Abstract

China played a low-key but supportive role in UN-led peace negotiations to mitigate the Yemeni civil war. Working alongside the United States, European states, Russia, and Arab Gulf countries, China followed the international consensus on Yemen that backs President Abdurabbo Mansour Hadi’s government as the legitimate government of Yemen, United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the Stockholm agreement. In striking a balance between regional rivals, Beijing tilts toward Saudi Arabia’s position in Yemen while concurrently endorsing the Iranian nuclear deal reached with world powers in 2015. Yemen is not a direct strategic interest for China, and Beijing lacks the willingness and capacity to take major initiatives to mitigate and resolve the mounting humanitarian crisis.