China opposes military intervention in Libya as Turkey decides to send in troops

Wang Yi begins Africa tour in Egypt with call for UN to take part in Libya peace process

Foreign minister expected to make stops in Djibouti, Eritrea, Burundi, and Zimbabwe as part of traditional diplomatic tour

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Cairo as part of an African tour and spoke alongside his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:45pm, 9 Jan 2020Updated: 8:14pm, 17 Feb 2020

China has voiced opposition to military action in Libya, saying the crisis can only be resolved by political means as tensions mount over Turkey’s decision to send troops into the divided country.

In Cairo on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said military intervention would cause continued trouble for Libya, which has been in turmoil since a US-led Nato intervention removed ruler Muammar Gaddafi from power in 2011.

“China has noticed the recent escalation of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. We always believe that the Libyan issue can only be truly and properly settled by political means,” Wang said on the Egyptian leg of a trip to Africa.

Libya’s United Nations-supported interim Government of National Accord (GNA) is fighting forces from the Libyan National Army, led by Khalifa Hifter, a former general in Gaddafi’s army.

China says there must be a political solution to the conflict between forces led by Khalifa Hifter (above) and the Libyan Government of National Accord. Photo: Reuters

On January 2, Turkey voted to send troops to Libya, joining Qatar and Italy in supporting the GNA. Egypt, Russia, France, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have given their backing to Hifter.