China is actively strengthening its presence in the Middle East and on the African continent, which is due to both geopolitical interests and the growth of the country's economy. The "Arab Spring" of 2011 undermined this course, which resulted, in particular, in the reduction of the Chinese presence in Libya. Keywords: China, Libya, "Arab spring". Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1978, bilateral cooperation between China and Libya has developed dynamically. In 2010, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 26.7% compared to the level of 2009 and amounted to $ 6.58 billion. At the same time, China exported $ 2.06 billion worth of goods to Libya, while Libya exported $ 4.21 billion to China. [China-Libya relations..., 2011]. There was also a cultural exchange between the two countries. As of the end of 2010, 70 students from China were studying under the Chinese Islamic Association at the Libyan Islamic University [Chinese Ambassador to Libya..., 2010]. Even in the fourth quarter of 2010, there was no serious threat to bilateral cooperation. Thus, according to the Chinese Embassy in Libya, the seventh meeting of the China-Libya Trade Affairs Committee was held in August 2010, and the first meeting of the joint China-Libya Trade Affairs Council was held on December 27, 2010. The meeting was attended by senior Libyan and Chinese officials and 70 business representatives from both countries [Tripoli hosted the summit..., 2010]. At the end of 2010, the third meeting of the Sino-Arab Friendship Council 1 was held, which resulted in the adoption of the "Plan of Interaction between the Chinese and Arab peoples for 2011-2012" [The third summit of the Sino-Arab..., 2010]. REDUCING THE CHINESE PRESENCE In 2011, after the beginning of the revolutionary actions, relations entered a different band. Between February 22 and March 5, the Chinese government carried out "the largest-scale operation to evacuate its citizens from abroad." Chinese citize ... Read more