A leader of the Libyan rebel group leading the fight to oust Muammar Qaddafi will visit China, Beijing said yesterday in another step in its efforts to expand ties with opposition forces in the war-divided north African country.
Mahmoud Jibril, the chairman of the executive board of the Libyan rebels’ National Transitional Council, will visit China for two days beginning today, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a single sentence statement on its Web site.
China has not taken a firm side in the war between Qaddafi’s forces and the rebel groups now encroaching on Tripoli and has said its recent meetings with Libyan government and rebel representatives are part of an effort to encourage a ceasefire and negotiated end to the war.
However, courting the rebels so openly has marked a policy adjustment for China, which while never a close ally of Qaddafi, generally avoids wading into other nations’ domestic conflicts.
Beijing this month hosted Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi and China said its door was also open to the rebels.
NATO has been pounding targets in Libya for months in what it says is an operation to protect civilians who rebelled against Qaddafi’s 41-year rule.
About half of China’s crude oil imports last year came from the Middle East and north Africa region, where Chinese companies have a big presence. Beijing mobilized navy ships and civilian aircraft to help tens of thousands of Chinese workers flee Libya earlier this year.
China was among the emerging powers that abstained in March when the UN Security Council authorized the NATO-led air strikes against Qaddafi’s forces. China could have used its veto power as a permanent member. However, Beijing quickly condemned the expansion of the strikes and has since urged a ceasefire.
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