(Telecompaper) Nokia has denied recent news reports claiming that it communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. The Finnish mobile network equipment maker said, "These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive. Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets." The company, which sold its handset operations to Microsoft in April last year, is currently in merger talks with Alcatel-Lucent.