Foriegn Minister Li Zhaoxing (File)

BEIJING, June 6 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has voiced opposition to a U.N. Security Council expansion plan proposed by Germany, Japan, Brazil and India.

    Li made the remarks in recent telephone conversations with African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare and Nigerian Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji on the U.N. reform, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

    While U.N. members had yet to reach consensus on the reform scheme, Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, known as the Group of Four or G-4, ¡°hastily proposed a draft resolution on U.N. Security Council expansion and forcefully pushed to vote on it,¡± Li said.

    Such a move ¡°is not conducive to the solidarity of U.N. members, runs counter to the original intention of U.N. reform and undermines the interests of developing countries,¡± Li said.

    Konare said Africa would not sacrifice its solidarity for the U.N. Security Council reform. Adeniji said he understood China¡¯s concerns and was ready to keep close contacts with China on the issue.

    Last week, Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Wang Guangya called the plan to enlarge the Security Council favored by G-4 ¡°a dangerous move¡± that China would oppose when it came to a vote.

    On Friday, the governments received the first draft of a plan for overhauling the U.N., complete with demands to pay more attention to poverty and human rights. But the document avoided the contentious issues of Security Council expansion, defining terrorism and guidelines for using force.

    General Assembly President Jean Ping presented his proposal to the 191 U.N. member states and said he would give them a few weeks to study it before they begin consultations later this month. They face a tight deadline, as Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called a summit in September for the purpose of strengthening the world body.

    The 15-nation Security Council, which rules on war and peace, sanctions and peacekeeping operations, still reflects the balance of power at the end of World War II.

    Japan, Germany, Brazil and India intend to put to a vote this month a U.N. General Assembly resolution that would enlarge the Security Council from 15 to 25 members, including six more permanent seats.

    (Source ;Shenzhen Daily-Agencies)