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US says Chinese firm is helping Houthis target American warships

Satellite company linked to People’s Liberation Army has supplied images to Iran-backed group in Yemen, say officials

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Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington

Published14 minutes ago

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A Chinese satellite company linked to the country’s military is supplying Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen with imagery to target US warships and international vessels in the Red Sea, according to American officials.

The Trump administration has repeatedly warned Beijing that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd, a commercial group with ties to the People’s Liberation Army, is providing the Houthis with the intelligence, according to the US officials.

“The United States has raised our concerns privately numerous times to the Chinese government on Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd’s role in supporting the Houthis in order to get Beijing to take action,” said a senior state department official.

The official added that China had “ignored” the concerns. He also told the Financial Times that CGSTL’s actions and “Beijing’s tacit support” despite Washington’s warnings was “yet another example of China’s empty claims to support peace”.

“We urge our partners to judge the Chinese Communist party and Chinese companies on their actions, not their empty words,” the official said.

The concern about CGSTL comes amid a deepening trade war between the Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump slapped huge new tariffs on imports from China, which are now subject to a 145 per cent levy.

The Houthis started attacking vessels in the Red Sea, a critical maritime route for global trade and the US navy, after Israel launched a war against Hamas, another Iran-backed group, in 2023, in response to the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack.

The US has escalated attacks on the rebel group’s positions in Yemen in recent weeks, including a large military strike that was the subject of the Signalgate leak and signalled an escalation of the campaign.

China has expressed concern about the Houthis’ attacks. The Biden administration urged Beijing to use its leverage with Iran to rein in the Houthis — but his officials saw no evidence that Beijing had done so.

Trump has made tackling Red Sea instability a priority, amid concerns that the Houthis continue to pose a threat to the global economy.

“Beijing should take this priority seriously when considering any future support to CGSTL,” said the US official.

Asked about the US claims about the satellite company, the Chinese embassy in Washington said it was “not aware of the relevant situation”.

CGSTL has previously come under US scrutiny, and was among groups hit by sanctions in 2023 for allegedly providing high-resolution satellite imagery to Wagner Group, the