At a time when the Pakistani state has been facing serious reprimand from nearly the whole of the world for its dubious role in abetting terrorism, China wishes to use its growing clout for another brazen act of misuse of power. China has expressed its willingness to back its all weather friend Pakistan in its desire to gain a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Xinhua reported. While Indian claims for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council has been silently ignored by China, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it was seriously considering Pakistan’s case for the coveted place. What if this is not dragonism?

China supports Pakistan playing a bigger part in maintaining international peace and security, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had voiced Pakistan’s wish to get a seat on the UN Security Council at the 66th General Assembly session in September. She said the process of UN Security Council reforms “must be worked in a manner that will reinforce the confidence of the peoples of the world in this body and enhance its credibility and effectiveness.”

Welcoming China’s announcement, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Masood Khan said that we are grateful to China for its public support and endorsement of Pakistan’s candidacy for the Non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council. This is a rare and precious gesture. We value and cherish it. This shows the depth of our relationship and mutual trust between the two countries, Ambassador Khan remarked.

The UN General Assembly is meeting on Friday to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council. The new elected members will replace Lebanon, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon and Nigeria, whose terms end on December 31. Those elected will serve from January 1, 2012, through the end of 2013.

Pakistan, a six-term candidate for the Asian seat on the 15-member Council, faces a challenge from Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country, which is contesting the election for the first time. The Asian seat is being vacated by Lebanon.

Pakistan’s earlier terms on the Council were in 2003-04, 1993-94, 1983-84, 1976- 77, 1968-69 and 1952-53.

The General Assembly, which is composed of 193 members, holds elections for non-permanent members by secret ballot.

The UN Security Council consists of five permanent members, including China, France, Russia, the US and Britain, and 10 other non-permanent members that are elected for two-year terms.

Beijing welcomed India’s election as a non-permanent member of UNSC last year but it has been silent about supporting New Delhi’s case for a permanent seat on the high seat. China is the only one of the five permanent members of UNSC that has not announced its decision to support India. Even the US President Barack Obama on his India visit said in clear terms that the US was willing a greater role for India in the UNSC.

The statement comes in the backdrop of rising differences between the United States and Pakistan. US top military leaders like Mike Mullen have repeatedly said that Islamabad cannot be relied upon as a partner in the fight against terrorism.

 

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