The Director of the Department of Asian and Australian Affairs at the Libyan Foreign Ministry, Saif Ahmed Al-Bali met with the Chargé d’Affairs of the Chinese Embassy, Wang Qimin in Tripoli.
The meeting discussed facilitating procedures for Libyan citizens to receive entry visas to China, and the two sides stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both countries.
Earlier, Libya’s Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun praised the “historic” commercial and economic ties with China, describing its relations with all key actors in East and West as “friendly.”
In an interview with Libya Review, Aoun said several Chinese companies have re-entered the oil sector in Libya, and continue to buy shipments of Libyan oil.
“We are a developing country with vast lands, and are in need of competitive prices. It is good for Libya to have friendly economic and commercial relations with China,” Aoun said.
He noted that several Chinese companies were previously present in the construction industry, building large-scale housing projects. “Beijing also has constructed electric power lines, so it has vast capabilities and we can benefit from it,” he explained.
“Chinese prices are reasonable when you compare them to the equipment coming from western countries. Their (Chinese) prices are very competitive and reasonable for the Libyan state,” the minister added.
Aoun said Libya was rich in natural resources, and needs companies to build factories and plants for cement, steel, gold refining, uranium, solar power, and renewable energy. He invited international companies to bid for these projects in Libya. “They can come to Libya and compete for the establishment of these projects.”
In May, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dai Bing called on all parties in Libya to commit to a political settlement. He told the United Nations Security Council that “plenty of uncertainty remains in the Libyan political process.”