09BEIJING1176, XXXXXXXXXXXXDISCUSSES G-20, DPRK,
UNSC REFORM
-----------
21. (C) China was concerned by “momentum” that was building on UN Security Council reform,
which was “not good” for the P-5, XXXXXXXXXXXX said. China wanted the United States to maintain
its position on UNSC reform and not be “proactive” on the matter, which the PRC feared could result
in a UN General Assembly resolution on the subject. The P-5 “club” should not be “diluted,
” XXXXXXXXXXXX said. If we end up with a “P-10,” both China and the United States would “be
in trouble.” Moreover, it would be difficult for the Chinese public to accept Japan as a permanent
member of the UNSC. The Charge replied that the Administration had not completed its policy
review on UNSC expansion, so we do not yet have a position on specific proposals. Nonetheless,
the United States believed that UN members should be allowed to state their positions freely
and openly without undue P-5 influence. Regarding Japan, the Charge said that, while no decision
had been made about which countries to support for permanent membership on the UNSC, it was
hard to envision any expansion of the Council that did not include Japan, which was the second-
largest contributor to the UN budget.
