The no-fly zone imposed over Libya by the United Nations Security Council is the result of international efforts to quell the violence and end the humanitarian crisis in the North African country. It marks the beginning of direct international intervention, including military measures, in Libya, too.

The Security Council voted on the no-fly zone resolution on Thursday and mandated that "all necessary measures" should be taken to protect civilians against armed conflicts between the government and rebel forces.

The upheaval in Libya began last month and since then has seized the attention of the international community. The escalation of armed conflicts between government troops and rebels has plunged the country into a crisis, threatening human lives and regional stability.

The United States had been rallying the international community to support UN-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya for the past few days. At its meeting on March 12, the Arab League said that a no-fly zone should be imposed, paving the way for a wider international agreement on the issue.

Libya has responded positively to the UN resolution, with Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim saying on Friday that his government is ready for an immediate cease-fire with the rebels. He assured the international community that government forces would not launch any more attacks on the rebels.

Libya's response to the UN resolution is welcome and could avoid a humanitarian disaster, because the belligerent opponents will get some time to rethink their methods. But given the complicated situation in Libya, it is too early to say that the no-fly zone would end the country's woes.

In fact, the result of the Security Council vote conveys the concerns of some countries. Ten Security Council member states voted for the resolution and five abstained. The countries that abstained are China and Russia, both permanent Security Council members with veto powers, and Brazil, Germany and India.

According to Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the UN, Beijing has "serious difficulty" with part of the resolution because many questions remained unanswered.

But despite that China did not veto the resolution, for it considered the position the Arab League and the African Union had taken. The Arab League and the African Union see it as an appropriate and necessary step to stop violence against civilians and stabilize the situation in Libya.

China has always opposed the use of force in international relations. It wants all actions taken by the Security Council to follow the UN Charter and norms governing international law and respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya.

More importantly, it wants the international community to make efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis through peaceful means.

(China Daily 03/19/2011 page5)