China wants UN seats for developing nations

BEIJING: China proposed on Tuesday adding an unspecified number of permanent seats for developing countries on an expanded UN Security Council, but bit its tongue on whether Japan should become a member.

“I think reform of the UN Security Council should have its eyes on increasing work efficiency ... and at the same increasing the representation of developing countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference when asked to comment on Annan supporting Japan.

Liu he made no mention of Japan and did not say how many developing countries should join the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China as permanent members of the council.

But Liu, responding to a separate question on a Japanese court ruling this month against paying compensation to “comfort women”, urged Japan to “face up to the problem, sincerely do some soul-searching and apologise”.

Historians estimate that during World War Two as many as 200,000 “comfort women”, mostly from the Korean peninsula, were forced into sexual slavery in Japanese military brothels.

Last year, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India formed a lobbying group for permanent council seats, pledging to support one another’s candidacy for new slots.

But North and South Korea have doubts about Japan, Italy opposes Germany for a seat, Pakistan is against India’s candidacy and Mexico and Argentina frown on Brazil. Liu said China was studying Annan’s sweeping reform proposals and backed reform of the world body in general. reuters

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