China says didn't know of arms sales talks with Gaddafi forces rl A pa guard at the entrance of the Libyan embassy in Beijing August 23 2011 By Chns Buckley BEIJING I Mon Sep 5, 2011 9:00am EDT (Reuters) - 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 on Monday. The revelation is nonetheless likely to deal a fresh blow to China's already delicate relations with Libyan rebel forces that have ousted Gaddafi. The ministry confirmed the gist of reports in 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 with a total of some $200 million to Gaddafi's forces, despite a U.N. 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. Page I 1 OF 2 EFTA_R1_02036931 EFTA02693371