Gadhafi's arrest warrant gets mixed reactions

Beijing - China hopes the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be more objective and prudent over the arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, while experts warn that the warrant will undermine political settlement of the issue.

"China is concerned about the possible impact of the warrant on the situation in Libya. We oppose any violence against civilians, and this position is consistent. We call for a political means to resolve the crisis in the North African country, and welcome the mediation efforts of the international community, especially from South Africa and the African Union (AU)," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday at a regular news briefing.

He Wenping, director of the African studies department of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the arrest warrant will not improve the current situation in Libya.