Fear Of Houthi Attacks Prompts Ships In Red Sea To Show Links With China

Around five ships crossing the Red Sea are using their signals to show their links to China, a step taken to avoid attacks and hijacking by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

Each vessel is signalling ‘All Chinese Crew’ in a place which usually shows the destination. Two such ships are in the Red Sea, while the other two have crossed the waterway and are headed towards Asia. The fifth ship is going towards the Gulf of Aden.

The companies that own these ships believe that being affiliated with an Asian Country might help avoid an attack by the Houthis. The destinations are usually manually entered by crew members and can be accessed by anyone online.

Since the beginning of November, there has been a rise in attacks on commercial vessels crossing the Red Sea by the Houthis, who are targeting ships with links to Israel. However, ships with no links to Israel were also affected.

These attacks have led to a fall in global exports and a rise in oil prices in the West. Some Shipping Companies have stopped shipping to Israel for the time being and even decided not to use the Red Sea route for the time being due to security reasons.

Transits through the Suez Canal have fallen to the lowest level since its blockage by a massive container ship in 2021. Many ships are avoiding the Red Sea and going thousands of miles around Africa to deliver their cargo.

References: Bloomberg, Hindustan Times

Fear Of Houthi Attacks Prompts Ships In Red Sea To Show Links With China appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News