China says Libya’s foreign minister is visiting Beijing this week. The trip comes after China announced last week it had reached out to the rebel forces challenging Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a one—sentence statement on Tuesday that Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul—Ati al—Obeidi would be visiting China from Tuesday to Thursday.
Beijing said on Friday that a Chinese envoy had met recently with a Libyan rebel leader -the first known contact between the two sides.
China abstained in the United Nations Security Council vote authorizing the use of force against Libyan government loyalists and has repeatedly criticized the NATO bombing campaign in support of the rebels.
