When President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the Yemeni Houthis had agreed to stop firing on U.S ships in the Red Sea and that the United States had halted its airstrikes against the Iran-backed militia, America’s closest ally in the Middle East was caught unaware.

China’s leaders have positioned the world’s second-largest economy as a reliable trade and development partner, in contrast to the uncertainty and instability from Trump’s tariff hikes and other policies.