Chinese firms tried to sell arms to Gaddafi

CHINESE arms firms held talks with representatives of Muammar Gaddafi’s beleaguered forces in July over weapons sales, but behind Beijing’s back, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

The revelation is nonetheless likely to deal a fresh blow to China’s already delicate relations with the rebel forces that have ousted Gaddafi.

The ministry refuted reports in Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail and the New York Times, that documents found in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, indicated that Chinese companies offered to sell rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles and other arms worth some $200 million (€141.7m) to Gaddafi’s forces, despite a UN ban on such sales.

A ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, said members of Gaddafi’s government had come to China and held talks with a “handful” of Chinese arms company officials without the knowledge of the government.

“We have clarified with the relevant agencies that in July the Gaddafi government sent personnel to China without the knowledge of the Chinese government and they engaged in contact with a handful of people from the companies concerned,” Jiang told a news briefing in Beijing.

“The Chinese companies did not sign arms trade contacts, nor did they export military items to Libya,” Jiang said. “I believe that the agencies in charge of the arms trade will certainly treat this seriously.”

Even if the arms talks were behind Beijing’s back, the controversy could intensify mistrust between Beijing and the rebels seeking to defeat Gaddafi’s shrinking forces and claim control of all Libya.

“We have hard evidence of deals going on between China and Gaddafi, and we have all the documents to prove it,” said Abdulrahman Busin, a rebel military spokesman.

The arms issue comes on the heels of tensions between Beijing and the Libyan rebels over frozen funds.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday said a national inquiry into anti-terrorism policy will examine allegations of ties between British intelligence and the Gaddafi regime.

This comes after the discovery of potentially embarassing Libyan security documents after the fall of Tripoli. These documents disclosed sometimes embarrassing details of the ties between British and American spies and their Libyan counterparts.

Cameron also told legislators that Nato would continue its air patrols until “the job was done”, and help the rebels bring Gaddafi to justice.

He said there must be “no pampered hiding place from justice” for Gaddafi.