China to maintain close contact with Libya's NTC

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday that China is ready to maintain close contact with the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya. "China attaches great importance to the important position and role of the National Transitional Council in resolving the Libya issue," Ma said during a regular press conference, noting China respects the choice of the Libyan people. "China is ready to maintain close contact with it (the NTC) and steadily advance China-Libya relations," Ma said. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun attended the "Friends of Libya" international conference in Paris Thursday, representing the Chinese government as an observer. Ma said China supports the efforts that all relevant parties have made to restore stability and push for a smooth transition in Libya. Ma said China is ready to play an active role in the reconstruction of Libya on a mutually beneficial basis. He emphasized that the most important issue at the moment is to restore stability and realize a smooth government transition in Libya.