Will ‘Silk Road’ be Yemen’s first gains after talks in Sweden?

About five months earlier, on July 12, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Yemeni counterpart, Khaled Al-Yamani, to discuss Yemen’s participation in the Silk Road initiative.

During his visit to Beijing, Yemeni affirmed that his country was one of the first countries that showed interest in China’s Belt and Road initiative, pointing out that Yemen’s geographic location and natural ports will be of a great addition to the international project.

Al-Yamani said Yemen looks forward to seeing China continue to play an important role on the issue of Yemen and welcomes China's active participation in its reconstruction process.

The minister further commended China’s support to the legitimate government in Yemen and the political solution for the conflict, under a UN umbrella, stressing that drifting away from the UN course will not establish a sustainable peace.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also affirmed his country's support for legitimacy and UN efforts to achieve peace in Yemen based on the resolutions of the international organization in this regard, stressing that Beijing Will continue to provide humanitarian and relief assistance to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis.

Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday asked for international efforts to promote the peace process in Yemen.

“The international community should cherish the outcome of the recent talks in Sweden and effectively facilitate its implementation,” said Ma Zhaoxu.

The political process in Yemen is entering a crucial stage with the Stockholm Agreement, he told the Security Council after the adoption of a resolution to endorse the agreement between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

According to Ma, the Security Council should fully consider and respect the views of the country and its concerns and provide support for the political process. “The international community should increase its humanitarian relief efforts,” he added.

He also added that, political means is the only way to resolve the crisis and that the international community should safeguard the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Yemen and support such efforts.

“China stands ready to continue its constructive role in the search for an inclusive political solution,” Ma added.

The Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the deployment of a UN advance team to Yemen to monitor the Sweden ceasefire agreement.

The resolution supports the agreements reached during last week’s peace consultations in Sweden and emphasizes the implementation of resolution 2216, which is committed to the three references of the political solution in Yemen.

The three references are the national dialogue outcomes, Gulf initiative and resolution 2216.

In 2013, an agreement was signed on the expansion and deepening of Aden Container Terminal between Yemen Gulf of Aden Ports Corporation and China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd.

The project is being implemented at a cost of $507 million and includes the construction of an additional berth on the western side of the terminal with a thousand meters length and a depth of 18 meters, as well as the deepening and expansion of the outer navigational channel with 7400 meters length, 250 meters width and a depth of 18 meters in addition to the inner channel with a length of 3800 meters, 230 meters width and a depth of 18 meters.

Completion of the project will represent a quantum leap for the shipping activities in the Port of Aden which has a great history. It will also promote future cooperation between Yemen and China.