BEIJING, Dec. 18 -- China on Friday welcomed a UN-brokered deal signed by Libya's rival factions to form a unity government.

China welcomes the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement by the participants of the Libyan political dialogue and "this is an important step in the political dialogue of Libya," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news briefing.

"China hopes all parties in Libya will resolve disputes through dialogue and achieve reconciliation and national stability at an early date," Hong said.

He said China has always supported and participated in Libya's political dialogue and backs the mediation efforts of the international community, particularly the UN.

The spokesman said China will continue to work with others to contribute to peace and stability in Libya and the region.

The agreement was signed on Thursday by the rival parliaments, an internationally-recognized one in Tubruk and a self-proclaimed one in Tripoli, alongside representatives of Libyan political parties, municipalities and civil society groups.

According to the agreement, the participants in the Libyan dialogue will form a unity government in order to put an end to the violence and political chaos in Libya after the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The United Nations has sponsored dialogue sessions between the Libyan rivals since September 2014, in and outside Libya, in order to end the country's political division.