China ready for talks with India over UNSC reform

Sounding positive to United States President Barack Obama's endorsement of India's bid for permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, China on Tuesday said it understands New Delhi's "aspirations" to play a bigger role in the UN and is ready for consultations with it over reform of the world body.

"China values India's status in the international affairs and understands India's aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations and is ready to keep contact and consultations with India and other member states on the issues of Security Council reform," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said during a media briefing.

"China supports reasonable and necessary reform of the UN Security Council and will maintain priority to giving more representation to developing countries at UNSC so that they can play bigger role in 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 US would also support India's membership for Nuclear Suppliers' Group, 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 this 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 the 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 S M 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. Obama's endorsement of India's membership leaves only China to take a stand on the issue as the other four of the five permanent members -- US, Russia, Britain and France -- have already conveyed their support for New Delhi's elevation to the top organ of the world body.

Meanwhile, Chinese media which closely followed Obama's three day visit to India, on Tuesday reported his announcement endorsing India for the permanent membership to the UNSC prominently.

Reporting on Obama's speech to the Parliament, Chinese state television, CCTV, said Obama's "opinion" on New Delhi's permanent membership to the UNSC doesn't mean that India would join the five permanent security members "anytime soon".

The US is supporting India's bid only in the context of unspecified reforms to the council. "India is seeking permanent membership in recognition to the surging economy and increase influence in world affairs," it said adding that India, Japan, Germany and Brazil initially proposed the idea of having more permanent seats to UNSC.

The television report also featured "angry reaction" from Pakistan, China's close ally opposing US support for India's permanent members of the UNSC.

More importantly, a columnist in the ruling communist party mouth piece, People's Daily online said "much to the delight of Indians and hailed by the Indian media, Obama reportedly alluded to what is called the "emphatic endorsement" for a permanent seat for India in the Security Council, even if he essentially handed the Indians "a check that cannot be easily cashed".

"Even so, it is too early to conclude Obama would satisfy the India's expectations better and more concretely than, say, the previous Bush administration. And it is absurd to say Obama's whirlwind tour to India is a proof that the US strategic focus has been shifted from Beijing to Delhi," he said.