PLC President: No Legal Basis for Dealings with Militias on State Sovereign Powers

  Riyadh

His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) received Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China Zhao Zheng today, Sunday. 

During the meeting, the Chinese diplomat conveyed the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Al-Alimi, along with his wishes for the president’s good health and happiness, and for security, stability and peace for the Yemeni people.

For his part, President Al-Alimi asked the Chinese diplomat to convey the president’s greetings to President Xi Jinping and his best wishes for the Chinese President’s continued good health and for the Chinese people to enjoy further progress and prosperity.

The PLC President reaffirmed Yemen’s pride in its historic relations with the People’s Republic of China and its appreciated role in supporting development and stability. He expressed his aspiration to further strengthen bilateral relations in a manner that serves the common interests of the two countries and their friendly peoples.

The meeting also discussed the consultations being conducted by the Yemeni government with the permanent members of the UN Security Council ahead of the Council’s emergency session scheduled for Monday. The session was requested by the Yemeni government to discuss Iran’s violation of Yemen’s sovereignty through the operation of a flight to Sana’a International Airport, which is under the control of the Houthi terrorist militias.

In this context, President Al-Alimi warned of the serious implications of encroaching on the exclusive sovereign powers of the Yemeni state. He warned that any repetition of such an attempt would constitute a dangerous escalation and a new test of the international community’s commitment to protecting the principles upon which the international order was founded eight decades ago.

The President stressed that the Yemeni government alone is the legally authorized authority to grant permits for the operation of international flights to Yemeni territory. He emphasized that no armed group, regardless of the extent of its unlawful control, has the right to exercise sovereign powers or establish foreign relations on behalf of the Yemeni state.

President Al-Alimi warned that any direct engagement with the Houthi militias on matters falling within the state’s sovereign powers would undermine UN Security Council resolutions and confer unrecognized authority on a de facto entity.

He added that any such action would set a dangerous precedent that could encourage other armed groups around the world to assume sovereign functions and establish international relations independently of internationally recognized states. Such a precedent, he warned, would threaten the stability and credibility of the international order as a whole.

President Al-Alimi praised China’s principled stance based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs. He expressed hope that this principled stance would be reflected in the current case, describing it as a genuine test of those long-standing principles.

The PLC President also reaffirmed the Republic of Yemen’s unwavering commitment to the One China principle and its rejection of any steps or positions that undermine China’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.

His Excellency further expressed the Yemeni government’s appreciation for China’s continued support for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He voiced hope that Beijing would maintain its principled position in confronting any attempts to undermine Yemen’s state institutions.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, Director of the Office of the Presidency.