Reuters: China has held direct talks with Yemen to secure safe passage for its tankers in the southern Red Sea

According to a Reuters report circulated on Tuesday 6 Mordad 1405 (28 July 2026), six informed sources say China has held direct talks with Yemen to secure safe passage for its tankers through the southern Red Sea. Per the report, Beijing asked the Yemeni side directly to guarantee safe transit for Chinese tankers, with clearance obtained on a ship-by-ship basis.

Beijing's stated aim is to preserve the flow of oil exports from Saudi terminals on the Red Sea, in particular the port of Yanbu, to offset the supply shortfall caused by the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. Yemeni forces declared the naval blockade of Saudi ports on 29 Tir 1405 (20 July 2026).

The trade publication Lloyd's List had earlier reported that Saudi tanker traffic in the Red Sea has all but halted, with no crude-carrying tanker recorded on the route since 1 Mordad 1405 (23 July 2026), and that at least 11 tankers near Yanbu switched off their tracking systems after the blockade was announced.