Beijing boosts Delhi's bid for UN council
seat By Siddharth
Srivastava
NEW DELHI - India's quest for a
permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) has for the first time been endorsed by China, a
signal that Beijing's foreign policy has shifted
significantly - from one of distrust dating from a brief
border war with India in 1962 to one that now recognizes
India's importance and seeks to engage with the major
South Asian power.
China expressed its support
for India's council bid last week during the visit of
Chinese state councilor Tang Jiaxuan, China's first
foreign minister from 1998-2003 and who plays an
influential and authoritative role in Beijing's foreign
policy today. Tang's visit marks the highest-level
contact between India and China since the Congress
Party-led United Progressive Alliance government led by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assumed office earlier
this year. Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing and
representatives dealing with border issues, including
national security advisor Dai Bingguo, already have
visited India to interact with representatives of the
new government.
[China has made it clear,
however, that it opposes a permanent seat on the
Security Council for Japan, which also has made a quest
of a permanent council seat. Though the two nations are
close economic partners, they are at political odds over
Japanese aggression in China in World War II and what
China sees as rising militarism.]
During his
visit, Tang said, "The Chinese government is supportive
of a reasonable and necessary reform of the UN Security
Council, believing that the reform should take into
account the interest of all parties, the developing
countries in particular, follow the principle of
equitable distribution, and give priority to increased
representation of the developing countries. The Chinese
government values India's influence and role in
international and regional affairs and is willing to see
a greater Indian role in the international arena, the
United Nations included."
"We hope to see India
playing a larger and constructive role in the Security
Council for world peace and development," Tang said in
response to questions by journalists. "China fully
understands and endorses your country's interest in
playing a bigger role in international affairs," he
said.
Tang's support for India's quest follows
similar backing by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"India is a country of 1.2 billion people. For India not
to be represented on the Security Council is, I think,
something that is not in tune with the modern times in
which we live," Blair told a news conference.
China is the fourth of the five permanent
members of the Security Council to support India's claim
to a permanent seat in the Security Council. The US is
now the only one opposed to India's candidacy.
Washington's opposition to India's bid for a permanent
seat on the UN Security Council is due to its
Indo-Pakistan centric South Asia policy, with Pakistan
seen as Washington's key ally in its "war against
terrorism". The US does not want to upset Pakistan,
which opposes India's entry to the council. The five
permanent members, all with veto power, on the 15-member
council are Britain, China, France, Russia and the
United States. The 10 other members are chosen by
regional groups and serve two-year terms. India has
served on the council as a regular member in the past.
However, momentum in favor of India is
increasing. Last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen
Clarke, on a visit to India, supported New Delhi's claim
for a permanent seat, saying the Security Council must
reflect the new world order. "It is hard to believe that
India will not be playing a greater role in the reforms
of the Security Council," which she said "must change as
it [still] reflects the world order of 1945 and not
2004".
A permanent seat on the Security Council
is extremely prestigious and improves a country's
standing in the world, since permanent members with veto
power members have the power to block any UN resolution.
[Plans for expansion and reform of the council are being
considered, some of them would provide permanent seats,
quite possibly without veto power, to major countries,
such as India, Nigeria, Brazil, Japan, Germany, among
others. A permanent seat without veto power - veto power
being still held by the Big Five - on an enlarged
council is still appealing but not hardly as prestigious
or as potent as veto-wielding membership. Britain,
China, France, Russia and the US are not likely to
invite countries from the developing world into their
club and give them veto power; they can veto any new
member.]
However, it remains a complex issue, as
each aspiring country faces strong opposition from
within its own continent. Argentina opposes Brazil's
bid, Italy that of Germany, South Korea points to
Japan's occupation of its territory in World War II,
while India has had to contend with Pakistan, which
insists that the Jammu and Kashmir issue be resolved
first. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has set up a
committee to examine the aspirations of many countries
in a new global order.
India has been zealously
pursuing its place on the council, as part of Manmohan's
priority agenda. Last month, Manmohan addressed the UN
General Assembly and lobbied for a Security Council seat
for India. New Delhi now has reciprocal arrangements
with other nations seeking a permanent seat. Brazil,
Germany and Japan are also pressing to join the
veto-wielding members of the council. India and Japan
have agreed to back each other, rather than contest each
other's efforts, thus increasing each others' chances.
India claims it deserves a seat on the basis of its huge
population, growing economy and contribution to many UN
activities.
The support from China comes as a
major fillip, but has not come as a surprise to some
observers. The reasoning behind Beijing's policy shift
is being partially attributed to the change in
leadership in China, with President Hu Jintao, who
superceded Jiang Zemin, considered to be a technocrat
with a better grasp of the nuances of international
relations.
Tang himself reflected on some of the
rationale that swayed Beijing, an indication of the
realpolitik that is beginning to govern relations
between the two countries that went to war four decades
ago, from October to November 1962, and have long been
at odds over both border and territory issues. Tang
described India as a "major" Asian nation with a large
population and one of the fastest growing economies. It
was clear from Tang's visit that he had arrived with a
definite message - Beijing wants to engage India as an
emergent power and the world's fourth largest economy
and he wants the two countries to be on the same side
rather than opposed to each other.
The galloping
trade between India and China has crossed US$5 billion
annually. It is no surprise that the US has in the past
voiced support for Germany and Japan (both among its
largest trading partners and close allies) for a
permanent seat. India is positioning itself as a voice
for South Asian countries on the Security Council.
In terms of strategic relationships in the
region, China no longer wants to be seen as ganging up
with Pakistan, which would only push India towards the
US. Further, China has for long been opposed to Japan
gaining leverage in the Asian region and would prefer to
live with India in the security council, should an
expansion take place.
A 16-member UN reform
panel is expected to submit its recommendations to Annan
by December concerning the expansion of the Security
Council, adding nine more members, five of which will be
new permanent members. The veto issue has not been
resolved.
Indeed, while the final shape of a
restructured UNSC remains unclear, there is enormous
international pressure to revamp the body in the face of
the unilateral decision of the US to declare war on
Iraq, bypassing the UN. The US move, without UN
endorsement. has seen various nations close ranks, which
clearly is an attempt to set themselves apart from the
hegemony of one country.
Siddharth
Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist.
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