Pragmatic China goes to work in new Libya

China faces mounting challenges in its struggle to build favour and protect its business interests and infrastructure projects in Libya after being seen to be slow-moving in its support for the African oil-producing country's transitional government.

Analysts say Beijing has been subtly changing its tone and tactics since the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi last week, distancing itself from the deceased dictator to build an image that would be perceived as friendly to the National Transitional Council.

In an interview with a France-based publication, Lu Shaye, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hit back at criticism that Beijing supports authoritarian regimes in Africa, including Libya.

'The former African leaders who are now deemed as dictators by the West, including Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and [Zine el-Abidine] Ben Ali of Tunisia, were all firm allies of the West over the past two to three decades,' Lu said, according to a transcript of the interview posted on the ministry's website two days after Gaddafi's death after being captured by rebels.

'Gaddafi had never been a friend of China. On the other hand, he was the guest of many Western leaders,' he added.

John Lee, a China watcher at the University of Sydney's Centre for International Security Studies, said Lu's remarks - the first by a Chinese official openly denying ties between Gaddafi and Beijing - showed that Beijing is worried its moderately strained relations with the rebels might hurt its business interests in post-Gaddafi Libya. 'I think China just wants to change history and say 'we were never a strong supporter of the Gaddafi regime',' Lee said.