China says no to UN Security Council draft enlargement

New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) – China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya said today that his country was opposed to giving Brazil, Germany, India and Japan a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"If those four countries continue their proposal, China would oppose it," Mr Wang told reporters.

Mr Wang called the proposal dangerous, saying it would divide the United Nations, destroy its unity and derail discussion of UN reforms.

On May 16, the four countries—dubbed the G4—circulated a draft resolution addressed to the General Assembly proposing a 25-member Security Council, 10 more than the current 15. In addition to the current five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), the revamped Council would include six new permanent members with veto power.

The four plan to put the motion to the General Assembly if they are certain they will get the support of two thirds of the 191 UN members.

The text does not say which countries should become permanent members but proposes two for Asia, two for Africa, one for Western Europe and one for Latin America.

China has vowed to block Japan from becoming a permanent member because of Tokyo's 'historical revisionism' concerning the Sino-Japanese and Second World Wars.