China's foreign minister told his Libyan counterpart that securing a ceasefire in the oil-rich north African state should be the "top priority" of both sides in the conflict, state media said.

"It is a top priority for related parties to reach a ceasefire to avoid greater humanitarian disasters and solve the Libya crisis through political means," Yang Jiechi said in talks with Libya's Abdelati al-Obeidi on Wednesday.

Yang told al-Obeidi that he hoped both the regime of Moamer Kadhafi and the rebels fighting to end his more than four decades in power would "take to heart the basic interests of the country and the people," Xinhua news agency said.

The Chinese minister encouraged both sides to "start the political process to solve the crisis at an early date to safeguard regional peace and stability", according to the report issued late Wednesday.

Yang told al-Obeidi that China "opposes acts beyond the authorisation of the UN Security Council", Xinhua said.

Russia and China -- both veto-wielding members of the Council -- abstained from the Council vote in March that gave the go-ahead for international military action against Kadhafi's regime.

China has previously spoken of its concerns that the NATO-led bombing in Libya was overstepping a Council resolution authorising "humanitarian" intervention in the conflict.

Al-Obeidi arrived in China on Tuesday, after Chinese diplomats held more talks with the rebels who have been fighting to wrest power from Kadhafi since mid-February.

The flurry of diplomatic activity seemed to indicate that China -- which has significant economic interests in Libya -- was stepping up its involvement in efforts to defuse the crisis there.

Al-Obeidi was due to leave China on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said earlier this week.

When asked whether China was mediating between the rebels and the Libyan regime, Hong said: "China is working along with the international community to resolve the Libyan crisis politically."

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