fence sitting finished

Can China protect its Red Sea investments without taking sides?

From Port Sudan to Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone, Beijing’s expanding footprint is reshaping one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors. But analysts say its growing economic clout is making political neutrality increasingly difficult to sustain.

By Sheriff Bojang Jnr

A shipping container of the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) moves through the Suez Canal in Egypt. © REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Published on July 30, 2026 at 08:00 am (GMT +1)

Few waterways are as strategically important or as politically volatile as the Red Sea. Carrying around 12% of global trade, it is under growing strain from conflict and geopolitical competition. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, Sudan’s civil war and growing rivalry among the US, Gulf states, Türkiye, Russia and China are reshaping the region.

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