Chinese leadership on Wednesday assured Beijing's support to India's bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council but said that the expansion of the organ needs wider consultation.
The Chinese stand on India's UNSC bid was conveyed by Wu Guanzheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to visiting CPI (M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat.
"The Chinese leadership has reiterated their stand that China supports India's UNSC membership but they have reservations in backing the G-4 resolution," Karat said.
Wu explained to Karat that China would like to see India playing a bigger role in UNSC. However, the issue must not be rushed through and needs wider discussion, the senior Chinese leader said.
China has vehemently opposed the draft resolution introduced by Group of Four countries comprising India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, calling the move "immature".
China says it will not support the G-4 move since it also includes Japan with which political relations have soured to a historic high due to the question of history and Tokyo's attempts to whitewash the atrocities committed by Japanese troops during World War II.
Karat said he expressed hope that the upgrading of India-China relations to strategic levels during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao' s visit in April would yield positive results and bilateral ties will continue to make progress.
{{/usCountry}}Karat said he expressed hope that the upgrading of India-China relations to strategic levels during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao' s visit in April would yield positive results and bilateral ties will continue to make progress.
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