China calls for political solution to Yemen crisis

A Chinese envoy on Thursday expressed concern over the escalating tensions in Yemen and called for dialog to achieve a political solution to the crisis during a UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, stressed the importance of maintaining the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea while respecting Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He welcomed recent announcements by Yemen's conflicting parties to open certain roads, urging them to build on this positive development by enhancing communication and rebuilding trust.

The Chinese envoy emphasized the need to create conditions for advancing a "Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned" comprehensive political process through nationwide ceasefires and economic recovery efforts.

"The U.S. representative's accusations against China are sheer nonsense. The Chinese company mentioned by the U.S. side has publicly stated that the American allegations are completely malicious slander, as the company has no business dealings whatsoever with Iran or the Houthis," Geng said.

Addressing regional issues, Geng pointed out that resolving the Yemen and Red Sea crises requires collective efforts and a favorable regional environment. He highlighted that the ongoing Gaza conflict has claimed over 55,000 Palestinian lives and left more than 2 million Gazans in unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

"As many countries including China have pointed out, the current tensions in the Red Sea are closely linked to the Gaza conflict. Without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the turmoil in the Red Sea can hardly be truly calmed. It is precisely the United States that has stood on the opposite side of the international community, abusing its veto power seven times in the Security Council to obstruct efforts to quell the Gaza crisis and save Gazans from their dire situation. Given this context, the U.S. has no moral standing to shift responsibility onto others," Geng said.

China calls for political solution to Yemen crisis

China calls for political solution to Yemen crisis

At least 89 people were killed and about 200 others injured over the past two days in escalating clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria's Sweida province, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Syrian defense authority, in a statement carried by the state-run SANA news agency, put the death toll at more than 30 and the injuries at some 100.

Attributing the escalating clashes to a breakdown of institutional control, the Syrian defense authority stated that specialized military units had been deployed to separate the warring factions and secure evacuation routes for civilians. The defense authority urged restraint, warned that continued fighting would only deepen civilian suffering, and affirmed its commitment to restoring stability through coordinated operations with interior forces.

Footage shared by China Global Television Network (CGTN) showed armed fighters clashing late Monday in Sweida, with fierce exchanges of fire between the conflicting parties.

The root of the conflict lies in an earlier incident where a young Druze man was assaulted and robbed by armed Bedouins at a temporary checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In retaliation, local Druze fighters detained several Bedouin members, escalating the situation.

89 killed in escalating Druze-Bedouin clashes in Syria's Sweida: war monitor