BEIJING - China on Wednesday called both sides of Libya to give peace a chance as it hosted the first visit of the country's opposition leader to Beijing.

"We hope the two sides in the Libyan conflicts ...truly give peace a chance and this will work for the fundamental interests of the Libyan people," Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in a meeting with Chairman of the Executive Board of Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) Mahmoud Jibril on Wednesday.

Jibril arrived in China Tuesday for a two-day visit. It is the first time that the Libyan opposition leader has visited China. Libya has been in a state of turmoil since February.

Yang also said the NTC has gradually become "an important political force" in Libya.