China said Wednesday it recognised Libya's rebel opposition as an "important dialogue partner", in a further sign of Beijing's willingness to get more deeply engaged in the Libyan conflict.

The praise for Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) came in a statement by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi after talks in Beijing earlier in the day with senior rebel leader Mahmud Jibril.

"China views it as an important dialogue partner," Yang said of the NTC, which is based in the eastern Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

The Chinese foreign minister added that since the council was established, its "representative nature has increased daily and it has gradually become an important domestic political force".

Beijing consistently opposes moves deemed to interfere in the affairs of other countries.

But energy-hungry China has held a number of meetings with Libyan rebels in recent weeks in an apparent sign that it wants a speedy end the conflict in the oil-rich north African state, where it has sizeable economic interests.

The statement by Yang, posted on his ministry's website, quoted Jibril as saying the transitional council pledged to protect those interests.

The NTC "appreciates the just position of China on the Libyan issue and the active role that China has played in resolving the Libyan crisis," Jibril was quoted as saying.

"(We) pledge to adopt the needed measures to safeguard the assets of Chinese personnel and enterprises in the areas under (NTC) control."

Until recently, Beijing had maintained its long-standing policy of non-interference and public neutrality on the conflict in Libya, calling multiple times for a peaceful end to the popular uprising.

In March, China and fellow permanent UN Security Council member Russia both abstained from the vote that gave the go-ahead for international military action against the regime of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

China has since repeatedly called for a ceasefire, speaking of its concerns that the NATO-led bombing in Libya was overstepping the Security Council resolution authorising "humanitarian" intervention in the conflict.

Kadhafi's forces are embroiled in a battle with rebels looking to put an end to his more than four decades ruling Libya.

The West has thrown its diplomatic and financial support behind the NTC, which has been recognised by about a dozen countries including Britain, France and the United States.

Yang reiterated China's stated position that only a Libyan political solution could end the strife.

"Concerning the Libyan issue, China will not seek its own interests and believes that the Libyan issue is fundamentally an internal affair and that the future of Libya should be decided by the people of Libya," he said.

Chinese economic interests in Libya include oil, railway and telecoms projects.

China mounted a massive land, sea and air operation to evacuate nearly 36,000 of its nationals -- most of them working in the rail, oil and telecom sectors -- from Libya after fighting first broke out in February.

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