China has called for an end to “harassment” of civilian vessels in the Red Sea after attacks on ships by Houthi rebels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, AFP reports.

Houthi aggression against vessels in and around the Red Sea has led to retaliatory strikes in Yemen by US and British forces.

Some shipping firms are avoiding the crucial trade artery, causing delays along international trade routes. And Beijing on Friday emphasised the area was an “important international trade route for goods and energy”.

“We call for an end to the harassment of civilian vessels, in order to maintain the smooth flow of global production and supply chains and the international trade order,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Beijing on Friday reiterated that the Red Sea tensions were linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. “The top priority is to quell the war in Gaza as soon as possible to prevent the conflict from further expanding or even getting out of control,” Mao said.