China says UN Security Council should give smaller nations a greater say and ‘redress historical injustices’ against Africa
- The country’s foreign policy chief Wang Yi said any reforms to the body should ‘uphold fairness and justice’
- China is one of the five permanent members of the council with the power to veto resolutions
Developing countries should be given a greater say in the United Nations Security Council, China’s foreign policy chief has said.
The call by Wang Yi comes as Beijing courts support from the so-called global south amid its growing rivalry with the West.
“The reform of the Security Council should uphold fairness and justice, increase the representation and voice of developing countries, allowing more small and medium-sized countries to have more opportunities to participate in the decision-making of the council.” Wang Yi said on Saturday
UN member states are preparing for talks on reforming the Security Council next month, and Wang made the comments during a meeting with Kuwait and Austria’s ambassadors, Tareq Albanai and Alexander Marschik, who are co-chairing the negotiations.
Wang urged the pair to lead “all parties to eliminate interferences and forge consensus, so that the Security Council reform process will be widely recognised … and the results will stand the test of history”.