‘Sensible’: China welcomes Australia’s refusal of US warship request

China has welcomed Australia’s decision to decline the US navy’s request for a warship in the Red Sea. China's state-run newspaper The Global Times claimed it shows Australia is stepping out of “America's shadow”. The US navy requested Australian assistance in the Red Sea where Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on shipping vessels. The Red Sea conflict came after the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7. The Chinese paper says US intervention in the Red Sea could broaden the conflict beyond Gaza and labelled Australia's decision as “sensible”.