China sends envoy to Libya after embassy shuttered for more than a decade

China has appointed a new ambassador to Libya after its embassy in Tripoli reopened in November, more than a decade after it was shuttered over security concerns.

Ma Xueliang’s appointment was confirmed when he met Libyan charge d’affaires Khaled al-Sayeh in Beijing on January 27 in his new capacity before he left for Tripoli, according to the state-owned Libyan News Agency.

China had closed its embassy in Tripoli in 2014 and moved its diplomatic mission to Tunisia because of the security situation in Libya.

The North African country was embroiled in civil war from 2014 to 2020. China had previously closed down its diplomatic mission and evacuated thousands of Chinese citizens following the 2011 civil war that toppled Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, ending four decades of rule.

The embassy was only briefly reopened before the 2014 closure.

In November, Beijing reopened the embassy with a low-key event that analysts said reflected efforts to maintain its neutrality.

South China Morning Post