China has not joined Western powers in formally recognizing the NTC as the legitimate authority in Libya, but has acknowledged its “important role” after Muammar Qaddafi’s ousting as the rebels swept into Tripoli last month.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China had been in close contact with the NTC and supports its role in Libya.
“Our lines of communication with the NTC are smooth,” she told a regular news briefing.
Jiang added that China would also step up its controls over arms exports after admitting Chinese arms firms held talks with representatives of Qaddafi’s beleaguered forces in July over weapons sales.
Libya’s new leadership has evidence Qaddafi bought arms this year from sanctions-busting traders in China and Europe, many of them via Algeria, but are split over how far to retaliate against governments which failed to stop it.
China says no arms were exported from it to Libya and that it abides by a UN resolution banning their sale to the North African country.
“I would like to emphasize that China will strictly implement the UN resolution and further strengthen management of military exports,” Jiang said.
“I think that competent authorities of military trade will take this matter seriously in accordance with regulations,” she added. “This contact did not lead to the actual act of exports.”
Libya’s interim council has promised rewards for those who took a leading role in backing the revolt against Qaddafi, and that has raised concerns China could be at a disadvantage.
China is the world’s second-biggest oil consumer and last year obtained 3 percent of its imported crude from Libya.
China did not use its UN Security Council veto power in March to block a resolution that authorized the NATO bombing campaign against Qaddafi’s forces, but it condemned the expanding strikes and repeatedly urged compromise between his government and the rebels.
By the time of the visit by Qaddafi’s officials, China was already courting the Libyan rebels.
