China to maintain close contact with Libya's NTC

Updated: 2011-09-01 18:47

(Xinhua)

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BEIJING - Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday that China is ready to maintain close contact with the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya.

"China attaches great importance to the important position and role of the National Transitional Council in resolving the Libya issue," Ma said during a regular press conference, noting China respects the choice of the Libyan people.

"China is ready to maintain close contact with it (the NTC) and steadily advance China-Libya relations," Ma said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun attended the "Friends of Libya" international conference in Paris Thursday, representing the Chinese government as an observer.

Ma said China supports the efforts that all relevant parties have made to restore stability and push for a smooth transition in Libya.

Ma said China is ready to play an active role in the reconstruction of Libya on a mutually beneficial basis.

He emphasized that the most important issue at the moment is to restore stability and realize a smooth government transition in Libya.

Answering a question about China's previous dissent to Britain's application to defreeze some assets of the Libyan government within its border, Ma said China dissented because it, as well as some other UN Security Council members, considered Britain had to further clarify the usage and monitoring mechanism of the funds in the spirit of being responsible to the Libyan people.

Ma said that after Britain submitted additional information, the application has been passed by the sanctions committee under the Security Council.

China has repeatedly voiced the willingness to continue economic and trade cooperation with Libya.

China is involved in 50 cooperative projects in Libya worth $18.8 billion.These projects have been suspended due to war fire there.

More than 35,000 Chinese citizens, mostly employees in the engineering, infrastructure and oil sectors, were evacuated from Libya since February due to the worsening situation.

Vice President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China supports the United Nation's leading role in solving the issue of Libya, and its greater role in addressing global affairs.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with visiting President of the UN General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser in Beijing.