China is mostly quiet on Houthi attacks in the Red Sea

Houthi fighters march during a rally of support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S. strikes on Yemen, outside Sanaa, on Jan. 22. (AP)

For months, Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, threatening global supply chains, forcing vessels to reroute and driving up costs. The militia in Yemen says it's targeting ships with links to Israel in response to the country's invasion of the Gaza Strip, yet many of the targets have no connection to Israel.

The U.S. has mounted a coalition of more than 20 countries to help secure the Red Sea, which has taken action including retaliatory strikes against the Houthis and shooting down the militia's drones and missiles.