How do you say 'tut tut!' in Mandarin?
I don't recall anyone asking for Chinese air support...
China supported a U.N. Security Council resolution on Saturday for an arms embargo and other sanctions targeting Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy and his inner circle, and referred the crackdown to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
But China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Beijing was concerned about suggestions by some foreign governments of military action against Libya, and setting up no-fly zones to protect Libyans from attacks by Qadaffy's forces.
"We have noticed this and are playing close attention," Jiang told a regular news briefing.
"We are paying a great deal of attention to what is happening in Libya. We hope that it can return to stability as soon as possible and its problems can be resolved peacefully through dialogue," she said. "We hope that the international community can make constructive efforts to ensure that Libya returns to stability as soon as possible."
The United States and other nations discussed on Monday measures to deal with Libya as Qadaffy scoffed at a popular uprising against his rule. British Prime Minister
David Cameron... British PM Cameron describes himself as a
modern compassionate conservativeand has spoken of a need for a new style of politics that doesn't involve calling people names. He has stated that he is
certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite,which means he's probably not. He has also claimed to be a
liberal Conservative, and
a very tall short person. Since he is not
deeply ideologicalhe lacks core principles and is easily led. He has urged politicians to concentrate on improving people's happiness and
general well-being, instead of focusing solely on
financial wealth, which is easy for a stockbroker's kid to say. Ask him to lend you ten quid and see how that works out. He has been described as
certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
said his government would work to prepare for a "no-fly" zone.
China has sent ships and planes to evacuate more than 30,000 of its nationals in Libya. Li Baodong, China's ambassador to the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society, told fellow Security Council members that concerns about these citizens had played a key role in his decision to vote for the U.N. resolution.
Beijing is generally reluctant to criticize authoritarian governments in the developing world, but also tends to avoid forthright public festivities with other Security Council powers, and uses more oblique words to voice its concerns.
Jiang stuck to that tone in her comments on Libya.
"The priority is for the violence to end, to avoid casualties and to make constructive efforts to help Libya return to peace and stability," she said.
Some U.S. officials have expressed concern a vote on a no-fly zone could be harder to secure at the Security Council where veto-wielding members Russia and China may resist.
The United States, whose Sixth Fleet operates out of Italy, said it was moving U.S. naval and air forces closer to Libya and working on contingency plans, including humanitarian assistance. Analysts said military action against Qadaffy was unlikely.