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Chinese Supertankers Carry Saudi Oil Through Bab el‑Mandeb · GNN Daily Breaking News

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Global energy flows are converging on one of the world's
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: most strategic chowpoints. Reports confirm that two Chinese supertankers loaded
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: with Saudi crude are making their way toward the bab
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  Speaker 1: Elmandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea to
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: the Gulf of Aden. Their transit highlights both the importance
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: of the route and the risks posed by ongoing regional instability.
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  Speaker 1: The bab Elmandub is a critical artery for global trade.
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  Speaker 1: Roughly ten percent of the world's sea borne petroleum passes
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  Speaker 1: through the strait, connecting Middle Eastern producers to European and
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  Speaker 1: Asian markets. For China, securing reliable access to Saudi oil
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  Speaker 1: is vital given its status as one of the kingdom's
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  Speaker 1: largest customers. The timing of the tanker's journey is significant.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Who Ta rebels in Yemen backed by Iran, have recently
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: escalated attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming to
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  Speaker 1: enforce a blockade against Saudi oil shipments. These strikes have
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: disrupted shipping, raised insurance premiums, and rattled global energy markets.
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  Speaker 1: The presence of Chinese supertankers in the same waters underscores
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  Speaker 1: the potential for wider fallout if the conflict intensifies. Saudi
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Arabia has vowed to protect its exports, calling on allies
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  Speaker 1: to bolster naval patrols. The United States has already threatened
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  Speaker 1: Iranian infrastructure in response to HUTI actions, accusing Tehran of
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  Speaker 1: orchestrating the blockade. China, meanwhile, has avoided direct involvement in
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: the conflict, but remains deeply invested in the safe passage
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: of its energy supplies. Analysts say the movement of Chinese
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: supertankers illustrates the interconnectedness of global trade. A regional conflict
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: in Yemen can ripple outward, affecting oil prices in Asia,
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  Speaker 1: shipping costs in Europe, and strategic calculations in Washington. The
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  Speaker 1: bab El Mandeb Strait, only twenty miles wide at its
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  Speaker 1: narrowest point, has become a focal point where local insurgency
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  Speaker 1: meets global commerce. For Beijing, the safe arrival of these
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  Speaker 1: tankers is more than a logistical matter. It is a
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  Speaker 1: test of how well international shipping lanes can withstand geopolitical turbulence.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: For Riad, it is proof that despite rebel threats, Saudi
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  Speaker 1: oil continues to reach its customers, and for Washington. It
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  Speaker 1: is another reminder that the Red Sea remains a theater
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  Speaker 1: where US military and diplomatic power will be tested. As
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  Speaker 1: the tankers approach the strait, the world watches closely. Their
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  Speaker 1: passage will not only deliver oil but also signal whether
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: global trade can endure amid one of the most volatile
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  Speaker 1: maritime crises of recent years.