Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle talked on the phone Thursday over the situation in Libya.

Yang expressed China's great concern over the civilian deaths resulted from the air strikes launched by Western powers, and urged an immediate cease-fire by related parties.

The crisis in Libya should be resolved by dialogues on the basis of respecting Libya's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, he said.

China supports the diplomatic efforts by the special envoy of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the African Union and Arab League so as to avoid escalation of the armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in Libya, said the Chinese foreign minister.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2011)