UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Monday that the sanctions on Libya should not negatively impact the Libyan civilians or third countries.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the sanctions should always serve the political settlement of relevant issues of Libya.

Under the current circumstances, he said, while the arms embargo on Libya should be strictly enforced, caution should be taken to prevent other sanctions from negatively impacting Libyan civilians or any third countries.

He stressed that the sanctions should not compromise the overall national interests of Libya or the normal lives of Libyans and fair humanitarian needs.

Given the situation in Libya, the UN Security Council has slapped a series of sanctions on the country, which include an arms embargo, travel bans against listed individuals, assets freeze and business restrictions against listed individuals or entities, and measures in relation to attempts to illicitly export petroleum.

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

The instability resulted in a divided country, with the UN-recognized administration overseeing the west and a rival government in the east. Each is backed by an array of militias and armed groups fighting over resources and territory.

In early April, the Libyan National Army, a force allied with the east-based government, started an offensive on the capital Tripoli.

The escalation of violence has killed almost 1,100 people, including 106 civilians, since its start. Enditem

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