China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Zhang Jun, affirmed his country’s keenness to support peace in Libya. He reiterated that the solution should be Libyan-owned and led, without any foreign interference.
This came during Thursday’s talks with Libya’s Representative to the UN, Taher Al-Sunni. Both sides agreed to follow up on consultation and joint coordination between the two countries.
“As part of the follow-up with permanent members of the Security Council, I held a meeting with the Representative of China, Zhang Jun,” Al-Sunni tweeted.
“Mr. Zhang Jun affirmed his country’s keenness to support peace in Libya and that China believes that the solution is purely Libyan and with Libyan ownership and leadership, free from any interference,” he added.
On the other hand, Deputy Foreign Minister and China’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Zhang Jun, said that the international community should provide robust support for Libya to help it develop its economy and tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, the Chinese official also suggested giving equal attention to action against terrorism and Libyan political negotiations, hoping to see all Libyan parties join the forthcoming elections.
He noted that Beijing and Rome share similar positions on the Libyan crisis. “We both support a political solution, respect the will and choice of the Libyan people, and oppose the interference of external forces,” according to Libya Observer.
Zhang Jun said that Italy has a significant impact on the Libyan file and actively participated in international mediation to resolve the country’s crisis. He stressed that China and Italy would work to strengthen communication and cooperation in this regard.
Libya fell into chaos in 2011 after a NATO-backed uprising, which toppled long-time leader Moammar Gaddafi.