How Does China Look at South Yemen?

China is accused of using the “Belt and Road” Initiative as part of manipulating global strategy aiming at funding the infrastructure projects in the developing countries with unsustainable loans in order to use such debts for gaining influence over those government in a policy known as “the Debt Trap Diplomacy” (10). However, Beijing denied those accusations. During the G7 Summit in 2021 after the outbreak of COVID-19, the western democracies attempted to present an alternative proposal. A joint statement entitled “Build Back Better World” proposed an alternative infrastructure initiative pushed by the major western democracies, led by the United States (11).

It is clear that the western initiative serves as an anti-project to counter the Chinese “Belt and Road” deemed by western forces as a threat which could enhance the Chinese influence. In other words, it is a project that will enable Begin to indirectly control the world and allow it to reshape the world order again. Due to such fears, the US and its allies decided to present an alternative project to rein in the Chinese expansion ambitions. It is not clear so far what will be the path of the Chinese and the American initiatives. It seems that the Chinese one, which began eight years ago , will achieve more progress, given that its was approved by many countries, especially in Asia with the exception of India.

The “Belt and Road '' Initiative, has been met with much welcome and wide scale response from the Arab states in general and the Gulf countries in particular. Many of them began to positively plan to match their strategies and development planes with the Initiative’s visions, goals and strategies. This includes “Saudi Vision 2030'', “Kuwait Vision 2035”, “UAE Vision to Revive the Silk Road”, “Qatar National Vision 2030” and “Oman Vision 2040”. Iran’s infrastructure projects which link them to Central Asia also accommodate the initiative (12).

Although the “Belt and Road” will pass through South Yemen’s strategic straits in Bab Al-Mandab, it has not so far determined how Yemen will be a basic station for his project, especially with the economic conditions of the country and the growing number of regional actors involved in it. In April 2019, Yemen signed a memorandum of understanding with China because of its strategic location importance, especially in South Yemen. Such a matter gives South Yemen big importance in this giant project if it is completed. This requires reaching to and making understandings with the political and military forces which control and protect these locations. 

In 2020, Chinese Ambassador in Yemen Kang Young said: “war prevented Yemen’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative” in spite of the high hopes that Yemen could play a vital role in this project given the historical role South Yemen and its ports previously played.

However, there are still some concerns related to the Chinese stance in spite of the moderation and neutrality it shows, especially regarding its policies for not deploying forces abroad. For example, the Chinese People's Liberation Army opened its first military bases in Djibouti in 2017 at the mouth of the Red Sea and off the Yemeni coasts in a very controversial move in one of the most important strategic main lanes. Although the declared goal behind opening the base is to fuel and back the Chinese maritime forces participating in peacekeeping operations and the humanitarian missions, (13)there are some existing doubts towards the Chinese activities in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, especially after seizing a shipment consisting of thousands of hidden offensive illegal weapons, automatic cannons and sniper rifles in the Arabian sea while it was likely on its way to Yemen. This included 3000 Chinese-made Kalashnikov assault rifles (model 56), according to the US Navy (14).

If these weapons were in their way to the Houthis, who are a main party in the Yemeni conflict, this reveals a contradictory Chinese stance which is supposedly seeks for stability, backing the international peace efforts in Yemen and helping in reconstruction and the resumption of the economic projects, mainly “the Belt and Road”.

There is no doubt that the Chinese policies have been greatly affected by the Yemeni crisis since 2014. However, China is known for its non-intervention policy and the attempt to build strategic balanced relationships with all parties including the Arab Coalition countries which intervened in Yemen under the request of the internationally-recognized Hadi Government and other local parties. Despite the old and historic Chinese relationships with North and South Yemen, China is currently interested only in securing a stable region which paves a proper ground to enhance joint economic cooperation through which it can implement its projects, mainly the “Belt and Road”.