M A I N   N E W S

India’s UN bid faces China wall
Premature plans will undermine unity among UN members, says China
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

Presetting results for reforms or forcing premature plans would not only undermine the unity of UN member states, but would ultimately harm the UNSC reform process itself which was not in line with anybody’s interests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu said in response to a question on the ongoing debate at the UN on reforming the Security Council.

The discussions show that parties still have sharp differences over some major issues about the reforms, and consensus is yet to be reached.— Ma Zhaoxu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson

Beijing’s statement came barely two days after Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had a meeting with his counterparts from other “G-4” countries — Brazil, Germany and Japan — in New York. A joint statement issued there reaffirmed the agreement among the four nations to press for all necessary steps to achieve at the earliest an expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

The Chinese spokesperson said ever since the launching of the inter-governmental negotiations on the UNSC reforms, member states had conducted in-depth discussions on various issues concerning the process and made some positive progress. “The discussions show that parties still have sharp differences over some major issues about the reforms and consensus is yet to be reached.” He said Beijing was of the view that since there were so many disputes, there was a need to enhance dialogue and consultation on the reform process.

The spokesperson, however, was quite careful with his words lest China should be seen as a country out to stop India or Japan from entering the exclusive club of P-5 countries (five permanent UNSC members). Therefore, he qualified his reservations about the reform process by stating that Beijing advocated that UN member states should seek a package of solutions and try to reach the most broad-based consensus through extensive and democratic consultations, accommodating interests and concerns of all parties.

China, the spokesperson said, was ready to stay in contact with all parties, and make joint efforts to push forward the reforms in a way conducive to safeguarding the overall interests of the UN and the unity of the member states.