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Premature reform will undermine unity among UN members: China
PTI
Last Updated IST

Harping on the "serious differences" prevailing among members on the issue, China called for working out "broad based consensus".

Members of the UN should work for a broad-based consensus on the reform of the UN Security Council, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said, apparently reacting to yesterday's statement by G-4 countries calling for finalisation of the UNSC reforms this year itself.

The G-4 is an alliance among India, Brazil, Germany and Japan for the purpose of supporting each other's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

Ma said that China held that UN member nations should seek for a package of solutions for the reform on the basis of broad and democratic consultation among member nations to accommodate interests and concerns of all parties.

Though some positive progress had been made since inter-government negotiations regarding the reform of the UNSC were launched, there were still serious differences within all parties over certain important issues about the reform, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Ma as saying in response to the G-4 declaration relased at the United Nations.

China advocated that the more differences the member countries had on the reform, the more necessary for UN member nations to enhance dialogue and consultation, Ma said.

"Experience has proven that presetting results for the reform or forcing premature reform plans will not only undermine the unity of UN member nations, but also harm the reform process, which will not be in line with any party's interests," he said.

China is ready to maintain contact with all relevant parties, and make joint efforts with other member nations to push forward the reform in a way which can be conducive to safeguarding the overall interests of UN and the unity of the member nations, Ma said.

The G-4 statement said most of UN members supported enlarging the council with new permanent and non-permanent members, and insisted tangible results be achieved in this regard during the Current Session of the UN General Assembly.

Pressure is mounting on China to take a clear stand on the UNSC reforms ever since US President Barrack Obama's endorsement of India's bid for permanent seat.

China is the only country among the permanent members which has yet to endorse India's bid for a permanent seat.

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Last month China had reacted cautiously to remarks by Hardeep Singh Puri, India's Permanent Representative to UN, that he believed China would not be an obstacle to
Indian becoming a permanent member of the UNSC.

Reacting to Puri's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry said "China understands and supports India's desire to play a bigger role in the UN, including its Security Council."

At the same time it clarified that there was no change in China's stand.

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(Published 13 February 2011, 13:29 IST)