ROME

Italy on Monday urged China to collaborate for the safety of the Red Sea route, which is threatened by attacks of Yemen's rebel group Houthi on commercial and military ships.

“It's very important that China collaborates on the safety of the Red Sea, a crucial region for the freedom of navigation and the safety of export,” an Italian Foreign Ministry statement said.

The statement came following a meeting between Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Rome.

The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, particularly those bound for Israel, since November. They said their attacks aim to put pressure on Israel to halt its war in Gaza.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

Italy is deeply involved in the defense of ship traffic in the Red Sea, providing the admiral in command of a European Union Red Sea naval mission, which was launched earlier this year to protect ships from attacks by Houthi militias.

According to the statement, Tajani also mentioned the issue of alleged Chinese weapon supplies to Russia, urging China to cooperate in view of the upcoming peace conference.

Earlier, Tajani said he backs tariffs proposed by the European Commission on Chinese exports of electric vehicles, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

"We support the duties that the EU Commission proposes, to protect the competitiveness of our companies," he was quoted as saying.

"We want to work on a trade plan based on equality, we demand equal access for our products in their markets. Our companies must compete on equal terms," he said.

Wang is touring Europe for talks on the EU's anti-subsidy case against China-made electric vehicles, as the EU plans to apply more tariffs.​​​​​​​