Libya and China agree to form a joint committee

Libya is deepening its political and economic opening to China by agreeing to establish a joint committee in Beijing, as reported by the Libya Observer and agencies on March 20th.

Reportedly, the talks are a sign that Tripoli is looking east for reconstruction support, diplomatic leverage and a longer-term strategic partnership.

The agreement suggests that Libya’s current leadership sees China not simply as a commercial actor, but as a state partner whose return could reshape the balance of foreign involvement in the country’s recovery.

The talks brought together Abdulmajeed Maligata, chairman of the High Committee for Supervising Libyan-Chinese Cooperation and the prime minister’s special envoy for Asian affairs.

Also present at the talks were acting Economy and Trade Minister Suhail Abu Shihah, in meetings with Jin Xin, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee.

The Libyan delegation’s visit is planned for March 19th to March 25th and is framed by both sides as part of a broader effort to reactivate a relationship that had lost its effectiveness during years of instability and diplomatic distance.

The two sides agreed to create a joint committee to strengthen political coordination and expand international cooperation, while also discussing governance, infrastructure development, and the return of Chinese public and private companies to work in Libya.

This development comes as China officially resumed embassy operations in Tripoli in November 2025, after a closure of more than a decade, and Chinese diplomats have since signalled that the reopening should serve as a platform for deeper cooperation in trade, investment and broader bilateral coordination.

The Beijing talks, therefore, look less like an isolated diplomatic gesture than part of a gradual Chinese re-entry into Libya at a moment when the country is seeking capital, infrastructure expertise, and foreign partners able to operate in the long run.

The Libya Observer plus agencies, Maghrebi.org