EDITORIAL: MILITARY MEANS CANNOT BRING THE RED SEA BACK TO CALMON THE EARLY MORNING OF JANUARY 12TH LOCAL TIME, THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM CARRIED OUT AIRSTRIKES ON THE YEMENI CAPITAL SANA'A, THE WESTERN RED SEA CITY OF HODEIDAH, AND MULTIPLE TARGETS IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCE OF SAADA. THE SITUATION IN THE RED SEA HAS ESCALATED INTO A NEW ROUND OF TENSION AND IS FACING THE RISK OF FURTHER ESCALATION.THE AIRSTRIKES BY THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN HAPPENED EXACTLY THE DAY AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL PASSED THE RED SEA RESOLUTION, GIVING PEOPLE THE FEELING THAT THE UN RESOLUTION HAD GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN. IT MUST BE POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS AN ILLUSION, AND THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN MAY INTENTIONALLY CREATE AND REINFORCE THIS ILLUSION, BUT IT IS NOT A FACT. THE RESOLUTION WAS PROPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN AND PASSED WITH 11 VOTES IN FAVOR, 0 VOTES AGAINST, AND 4 ABSTENTIONS, CALLING ON THE HOUTHI ARMED FORCES TO "IMMEDIATELY CEASE ALL ATTACKS THAT IMPEDE GLOBAL COMMERCE, NAVIGATION RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, AS WELL AS REGIONAL PEACE. RUSSIA, CHINA, ALGERIA, AND MOZAMBIQUE ABSTAINED FROM VOTING.THE RED SEA IS AN IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL TRADE CHANNEL FOR GOODS AND ENERGY, AND ITS STABILITY IS RELATED TO THE COMMON INTERESTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE CHINESE SIDE EMPHASIZED THAT "NO COUNTRY SHALL MISINTERPRET OR ABUSE THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THIS RESOLUTION TO CREATE NEW TENSIONS IN THE RED SEA WATERS." UNEXPECTEDLY, CHINA'S CONCERNS BECAME A REALITY THE NEXT DAY. AFTER THE ATTACK, SOME ALLIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING JORDAN AND OMAN, ARE CONCERNED THAT THE SITUATION MAY SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL AS A RESULT. YEMEN'S NEIGHBORING COUNTRY SAUDI ARABIA ALSO URGED TO AVOID ESCALATING THE SITUATION. THERE ARE ALSO MANY VOICES OF OPPOSITION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE US MISSION IN YEMEN, CURRY, STATED THAT THE ATTACK ON YEMEN WAS A "SERIOUS MISTAKE" AND A "FAILURE OF US DIPLOMACY". THE UNITED STATES HAS ACTUALLY BECOME A "DIRECT PARTICIPANT" IN THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE REGION IS VERY BAD, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO CEASEFIRE BETWEEN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL. HOWEVER, THE SPILLOVER CONFLICT IN THE RED SEA IS FURTHER ESCALATING AND EXPANDING. THE "SUPREME POLITICAL COUNCIL" OF THE HOUTHI ARMED FORCES IN YEMEN CLAIMS THAT "ALL INTERESTS" OF THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN HAVE BECOME "LEGITIMATE TARGETS" FOR THE HOUTHI ARMED FORCES, AND RETALIATION AND HARASSMENT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN WILL START ANOTHER CYCLE OF ATTACKS, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF MULTIPLE SPILLOVER CONFLICTS. IN SHORT, THE POSSIBILITY OF THE SITUATION DETERIORATING HAS INCREASED AND THE DEGREE HAS DEEPENED, AND THIS RESULT REQUIRES ALL PARTIES TO MAKE ****** EFFORTS TO AVOID IT.IT SHOULD BE SAID THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITUATION TO THIS POINT IS BOTH ACCIDENTAL AND INEVITABLE. IT IS THE UNITED STATES THAT HAS PUSHED THE SITUATION STEP BY STEP ACCORDING TO ITS OWN STYLE AND LOGIC OF ACTION. THE NARROW STANCE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT HAS LED TO THE PROLONGED CONFLICT AND ITS SPILLOVER EFFECTS. THE UNITED STATES' RESPONSE STRATEGY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ISSUE, WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY INTRICATE CONTRADICTIONS AND COMPLEX HISTORICAL CONTEXT, IS SIMPLE, EVEN CRUDE.MILITARY MEANS ARE STILL THE MOST FAMILIAR, FAVORED, AND PROFICIENT WAY FOR THE UNITED STATES, APPLIED IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, LIBYA, INCLUDING SYRIA AND NOW THE HOUTHI ARMED FORCES IN YEMEN. IT HAS BECOME A PATH DEPENDENCE FOR THE UNITED STATES. HOW MANY BLOODY LESSONS HAVE TAUGHT US THAT USING FORCE AS THE PRIMARY MEANS CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEMS, BUT INSTEAD WORSENS AND COMPLICATES THE SITUATION. ULTIMATELY, WE MUST RETURN TO THE PATH OF POLITICAL RESOLUTION. THE SAME APPLIES TO THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. CHINA BELIEVES THAT ACHIEVING AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA IS AN URGENT AND OVERWHELMING PREREQUISITE, AND THE TOP PRIORITY OF INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS.WHETHER IT IS THE CURRENT RED SEA CRISIS OR THE ONGOING GAZA CONFLICT, THE SEARCH FOR A REAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR, WHICH IS TO IMMEDIATELY ACHIEVE A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. HOWEVER, THE UNITED STATES CURRENTLY LACKS THE COURAGE TO TRULY TAKE SUPPORTIVE ACTIONS TOWARDS THIS CORE DEMAND. US SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN HAS MADE FOUR TRIPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST IN THREE MONTHS. HE HAS SPENT SO MUCH EFFORT, BUT HE CANNOT EVEN SAY "AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE". IF WE CONTINUE ON THE CURRENT PATH, WASHINGTON MAY NOT BE THE SOLVER OF THE MIDDLE EAST ISSUE, BUT RATHER AN ACTIVE PROMOTER OF RISK SPREAD.US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE COALITION STRIKE PLAN IS TO STRIKE A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN FORCING THE HOUTHIS TO STOP THEIR ATTACKS IN THE RED SEA AND AVOIDING FURTHER CONFLICT IN THIS ALREADY VOLATILE REGION. PURSUING A BALANCE CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A COGNITIVE ADVANCEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT CAN IT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH MILITARY STRIKES? OR HAS IT EXACERBATED THE IMBALANCE? CAN WE RESTORE PEACE TO THE RED SEA? THE ANSWER IS CLEARLY NEGATIVE.