China to tighten arms regulation

China will be changing their regulations for arms control now that reports have surfaced about the country's involvement in selling $200 million in arms to Libya, the New York Times reports.

The government claims that it had no prior knowledge of the arms deal, which was made during Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime's final weeks, and included stockpiles of rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles and portable surface-to-air missiles. Beijing also held secret talks with Gaddafi about how to get the arms to him- shipping them to Libya via South Africa and Algeria, reports the AFP.

After the documents were recovered from the trash by a Canadian Journalist in the Bab Akkrah neighborhood, China denied knowledge of the trade, which occured during a trip to Beijin by Libyan security officials to Beijing on July 16. Libya was under a U.N. arms embargo at the time.

"Chinese companies have not provided military products to Libya in any direct or indirect form," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told journalists. The papers did not indicate whether the transaction between the two countries had been completed.

Jiang said that China's government would "further strengthen management over military exports," reports the New York Times. "Competent authorities for military trade will handle the matter in a serious manner in accordance with regulations."

China's precarious relationship with the interim government, the Transitional National Council hangs in the balance. According to rebel leaders, evidence of arms shipments from companies in China, as well as other countries who have largely ignored the arms embargo, reports the New York Times.
If sales to Gaddafi's government are proven, the rebels have also pledged to retaliate.