February 13, 2015
Beijing: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beijing visit, China on Thursday softened its stand on India's bid for a permanent membership in United Nation's Security Council.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) during a meeting in New Delhi
February 13, 2015
Beijing: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beijing visit, China on Thursday softened its stand on India's bid for a permanent membership in United Nation's Security Council.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) during a meeting in New Delhi
After decades of denial, it is for the first time that China said it supported India's bid. A senior Chinese official said Beijing has no problem with India and Brazil getting a permanent berth in UNSC but does have reservations if Japan gets the same. India, Brazil, Japan and Germany are clubbed as the G4 group of countries who are seeking a permanent seat in Security Council.
About the Indian and Brazilian applications to become permanent members, China respects the willingness of the two countries to play a bigger role in the UN body, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
China has been opposing India's permanent seat in UNSC since UN's initiation but now the Chinese government has extended its support to India decades old demand for the first time. It is noteworthy that in 1949 when the Chinese regime changed from Republic of China to People's Republic of China, India was among the first members of UN to support its claim of permanent membership in UNSC.
The relations between the two neighboring countries have seen huge turmoil in recent years due to tensions at borders in Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh area. The Chinese Premier India visit in September 2014 started a new era of talks between the countries which was taken forward by Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj's China visit in earlier in February 2015.
The latest development could likely be a softening of stance before Modi's visit to China scheduled later in 2015 and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan.
Courtesy: CNN-IBN
