A Chinese-owned ship was attacked in the Red Sea

A Chinese-owned oil tanker was hit by a missile fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command.

According to Voice of America news, the US military said on March 23 that a Chinese-owned oil tanker was attacked by a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi armed forces.

US Central Command issued a statement on its social media platform stating that the Houthi armed forces fired four ballistic missiles at the ship "Huangpu", which flies the Panama flag but is owned and operated by China, and launched a fifth bomb at around 04:25 pm local time.

US Central Command said the ship sent a distress signal but did not request help. The ship sustained minor damage, and the fire on board was extinguished within half an hour. There were no casualties, and the ship was quickly recovered. The statement also indicated that the Houthis had previously announced that they would not attack Chinese ships, but they were still attacking the Chinese ship "Huangpu."

The US military then clashed with six Houthi drones in the southern part of the Red Sea. Five drones crashed in the Red Sea, and others flew inside Yemeni areas controlled by the Houthis. The US military said that drones pose a threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial ships in the region, and the goal of the United States is to protect the security of the region.

At a press conference held by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on March 25, a reporter asked about China’s reaction to reports that China and the Houthis reached an agreement last week that the Houthis would not attack Chinese ships. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that China has always opposed the sudden attack on civilian ships and called for the security of the Red Sea region to be protected in accordance with international law, avoiding asking questions.