China calls India selfish over Jaishankar's criticism of UNSC reforms; Details inside-
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Beijing, March 1: Recently, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar took a dig at China for obstructing reforms of the UN Security Council. Responding to this, China has now asserted that reforms should not cater to "the selfish interests of a few".
It is pertinent to mention that Jaishankar, during the Raisina Dialogue last week, stated that Security Council reforms faced complex geopolitical challenges and diverse positions. He also added that the “biggest opponent” of UNSC reforms “is not a Western country”, directly alluding to China without naming it.
"When the UN was created, it had approximately 50 members. We have four times the members now. So, it's a common sense proposition that you can't continue the same way when you have four times the members." His answer came in response to a question if the global system should be reformed or overhauled.
"The West, as the dominant force earlier, is largely responsible for where we are today. The new players haven't helped. If you take UN Security Council (UNSC) reform, the biggest opposer is not a Western country," he said in an apparent dig at China. "So, let's get the totality of the problem right. We have to battle bit-by-bit to create groups for change," he added.
When asked about the same, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that member states need to seek the broadest possible consensus for a package solution through serious and thorough consultations when it comes to UNSC reforms. “The reform should benefit all member states rather than serving the selfish interests of a few,” she said, pointedly.
Also Read: "How can we allow five permanent members to override collective voice of 188 members": India calls for UNSC reforms
She said that China believes that “reform of the Security Council should effectively increase the representation and say of developing countries and give more small and medium-sized countries the opportunity to participate in the decision-making of the organization”.
Notably, four out of five permanent members of the UNSC have supported India's candidature for a permanent seat at the global body while China continues to take an ambivalent stand vis-a-vis India's candidacy.