New Delhi has obtained “documented evidence” of Beijing acting in concert with Islamabad to stall India’s efforts for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

India, Brazil, Germany and Japan (referred to as G4) were looking to renew their bid last year after a UN panel had suggested immediate UNSC expansion as an “intermediate arrangement” subject to review after a specific timeframe.

But key to G4’s efforts was a consensus in the African Union (AU) to accept this transitional approach. So the AU Summit in Accra last year assumed significance given that AU was going by its own consensus which called for at least two UNSC seats for Africa with full privileges, including the right to veto.

The G4 was willing to compromise on the right to veto so as to win support from existing permanent members as well as key European powers.

It now transpires that China had reached out to Pakistan in June 2007, days ahead of the Accra Summit, and asked it to “prevent the AU from adjusting its common ground”. The two countries acted in concert to successfully ensure there was no change in the African position and that status quo was retained.

This runs in the face of Chinese public position of maintaining neutrality and telling New Delhi that it “supports India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations, including the Security Council”.

As the G4 was set to lobby at the Africa summit, the Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad met then Additional Secretary Tariq Osman Hyder in the Pakistan Foreign Ministry on June 22, 2007. The pre-summit meetings in Accra were to begin from June 25 and the summit was slated for July 1-3.

... contd.