“China supports reasonable and necessary reform of the UN Security Council and will maintain priority to giving more representation to developing countries at the UNSC so that they can play bigger role in the Security Council,” Hong said. He said China wants democratic and patient consultations over the issue.

“We hope all parties should continue to have democratic and patient consultations so as to reach a package of consensus on reform related issues so that negations will become a process to narrow differences, safeguard unity and realise a win-win scenario,” he said.

Asked about Obama’s assertion that the US would also support India’s membership for the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Australian Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement, Hong said all countries should respect their international obligation of non-proliferation.

“China believes that countries under the precondition of respecting the international obligation of non-proliferation have the right to make peaceful use of nuclear energy and conduct international cooperation in the field. Meanwhile, it should safeguard the integrity and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime,” he said.

“We hope that cooperation between relevant countries could contribute to regional peace stability and development.” The issue of India’s permanent membership to the UNSC has always figured high in talks between Indian and Chinese leaders.

The issue was raised during President Pratibha Patil’s visit to Beijing this year as well as External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s visit earlier.

“China understands India’s aspirations at the UN” was the standard phrase it came up with during the talks sounding cautious and ambivalent on the complex UNSC reform process. China has also voted for India’s candidature to the non-permanent seat at the UNSC. — PTI

Jakarta, November 9
After two years of waiting, Indonesians are finally getting the chance to welcome back their adopted son. But the euphoria that swept the predominantly Muslim country after Barack Obama’s election victory has been replaced by a dose of reality.

Few here now believe he will change American policies in the Middle East or improve US relations with the Muslim world.

And hopes that the two countries would march forward together on the world stage have been cast aside.

While Indonesians take pride in having partially raised Obama, who spent four childhood years in the country, the plans for his long-anticipated homecoming today have been accompanied by a sadness that he is not fully theirs.

His busy schedule will give him no time to visit his old neighbourhood in the sprawling overcrowded capital, a jumble of houses and narrow streets that have changed little since he was here from 1967 to 1971. He will only have a few, hastily arranged minutes with kin and friends.

“I have waited so long for this visit,” said Katarina Fermina Sinaga, 61, who taught the chubby, vivacious boy, then known as “Barry” in the third grade. “I know as the world leader, his schedule is tight, but I still hope to meet him. I just don’t want him to forget us,” Katarina said.

“He’s not even taking time to meet us,” said Din Syamsuddin, leader of the country’s second-largest Muslim group, Muhammadiyah. — AP

A spate of American military and civil aviation sales to India are being viewed with glee and hailed for the salutary effect they will have on a flagging US economy. The Indian Air Force’s decision to buy 10 Boeing C-17 aircraft won lavish praise on Monday from a top US senator who acknowledged that the deal would boost the economy of his home state.

Senator Chris Dodd, Connecticut Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said the purchase of the aircraft represented “a great investment in Connecticut’s defence industry.”

The Indian Air Force has signed a preliminary agreement to purchase 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines. The announcement was made during US President Barack Obama’s visit to the India earlier this week.

“This agreement strengthens our relationship with India’s robust economy and supports defence jobs at Pratt & Whitney’s East Hartford and Middletown locations, giving our state’s economy a much needed boost,” Dodd said, adding that it was his hope that this increase in business would “also persuade United Technologies to reconsider its plans to close two of its Connecticut plants.”

According to the White House, the C-17 deal is worth around $4.1 billion and would support the creation of an estimated 22,160 American jobs. Each C-17 supports 650 suppliers across 44 US states and that the Indian Air Force order would support Boeing’s C-17 production facility at Long Beach, California, for an entire year, according to Boeing. The purchase would make the Indian Air Force the owner and operator of the largest fleet of C-17 aircraft outside of the United States.

Meanwhile, two US companies, Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., are among the leading competitors for a $10-billion sale of 126 advanced fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force. This is currently the world’s biggest defence tender. While Boeing wants to sell the F-18 Super Hornet to India, Lockheed Martin is offering the F-16IN Super Viper.

Carla Bruni’s security up amid assassination fear
LONDON: French First Lady Carla Bruni’s security has been stepped up in the wake of intelligence inputs that she may be a “priority target” of terror group Al-Qaida’s assassination plot, a media report said. Security services believe President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 42-year-old wife is now “high up” on the Al-Qaida’s hit list of potential VIP victims in France. Fears for Bruni’s safety come after bin Laden issued a chilling personal threat to kill French citizens in revenge for France backing the war in Afghanistan and their new law banning the burqa. — PTI

Ronald re-elected Interpol chief
DOHA: Ronald Noble, who has been Secretary-General of the Interpol for the past 10 years, was on Tuesday re-elected to the post for a third five-year term at the global police agency’s general assembly in Doha. The 55-year-old American former prosecutor was re-elected by an overwhelming majority, with 119 for, one against and six abstentions. He was the only candidate presented by the Interpol executive committee. — AFP