China favours “democratic and patient consultations” on the question of reforming the United Nations Security Council, the government said a day after United States President Barack Obama endorsed a permanent seat for India on an expanded UNSC.
While China supported "reasonable and necessary" reforms which “give priority to developing countries”, the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said it “understood India’s aspirations” to play a greater role in the UN, repeating its earlier position of not directly supporting India's candidature.
“We hope all parties can have democratic and patient consultations to reach a package of consensus on the issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said, when asked about Mr. Obama’s statement at a press briefing. Such a process, he said, would help “narrow differences.”
“China values India’s status in international affairs and understands India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the UN,” he added, stressing that China was “ready to keep contact with India and other states on UNSC reforms.”
Asked about U.S. support for India’s full membership of the 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Mr. Hong said China’s position was that “countries, under [the] precondition of respecting international obligations of non proliferation, have the right to make peaceful use of nuclear energy and conduct international cooperation.”
Following Mr. Obama’s endorsement on Monday for a permanent seat for India on an expanded UNSC, China remains the only country among the five permanent members of the UNSC who have not directly voiced support for India’s bid.
Since 2005, China has said it “understood and supported India’s aspirations”, but not specifically its bid, to have a greater voice in the UN and the UNSC. Indian officials have recently called on China to review its position.
In March, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said during a visit to Beijing that it was “time for China to review previously held positions [on U.N. reforms] and welcome the presence in the Security Council of a nation with which it has much in common.”
And in September, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told China's official State broadcaster China Central Television in an interview in New York that India wanted "greater understanding" from China on the issue.
“The world is talking today about the reform of the UNSC, and finding a place for nations which deserve to be permanent members of the Security Council,” she said. “India counts itself among that group of countries. We believe that India is a deserving candidate forpermanent membership of the UNSC, and we would like to see greater understanding from China of India's case for permanent membership of the UNSC.”
Mr. Krishna is expected to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on November 14 and 15, along the sidelines of the Russia-India-China trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting in Wuhan in China's Hubei province.
Mr. Hong said the meeting would give all three countries the chance “to improve trilateral political mutual trust and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields.”
