China and Djibouti issued a joint call stressing the need to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying all countries should enjoy freedom of navigation amid what they described as a deteriorating security situation.
The statement, made public after a meeting of the two countries' foreign ministers in Beijing, was reported on 23 October 2026. The two governments set out their shared concern in a formal communique9 and underscored the importance of unimpeded passage through these waterways.
Joint message from Beijing
China and Djibouti said in the joint statement that freedom of navigation should be upheld throughout the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The wording underlined a mutual diplomatic position reached following the ministerial talks held in the Chinese capital.
The communique9 expressed explicit concern about the security environment in the region, describing it as deteriorating. The two states framed their remarks in terms of international passage and the principle that all countries should be able to transit these sea lanes without hindrance.
Geographic context and proximity
Djibouti occupies the opposite side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait from Yemen, a fact noted in the reporting and cited to highlight Djibouti's particular interest in regional stability. That geographic relationship was invoked in the statement as part of the justification for Djibouti's engagement on the issue.
The ministers' meeting in Beijing and the resulting joint statement show a shared diplomatic focus on maritime access and the navigation rights that govern passage through the Red Sea and adjacent straits. The reported message sets out a clear bilateral stance on maintaining those rights in the face of what the two governments characterised as growing instability.
The announcement reported on 23 October 2026 presents an instance of Sino-Djiboutian coordination on a maritime security concern that both parties said demands international attention. The statement links Beijing and Djibouti through a common interest in safe and lawful maritime transit, as conveyed in the published report.
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