Chinese envoy reiterates that Japan is „not eligible“ for a permanent UNSC seat

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, reiterated on Friday that Japan is not eligible to seek a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Fu made these remarks during an intergovernmental meeting of the UN General Assembly on the issue of equitable representation and expanding the membership of the Security Council.

In his statement, Fu said Japan has refused to reflect on its history of aggressive acts, openly disrupting the post-war international order and encroaching on the sovereignty of other states, posing new threats to regional peace and stability. „Such a country is simply not eligible to claim a permanent seat on the Security Council,“ he said.

A day earlier at a UN meeting, Fu warned that any military intervention by Japan on the Taiwan issue would face a „direct hit“.

During the plenary session of the Special Committee on the UN Charter and the Strengthening of the Role of the UN, he said that the Japanese leadership had gone against the tide of history in recent years. Japan has explicitly linked the Taiwan issue to an alleged „threat to survival“, reacted speculatively on the basis of the Japan-US alliance, and attempted to use „self-defence“ as a pretext to intervene in the Taiwan issue.

„These flawed arguments have no legal basis,“ Fu said. „Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and the resolution of the Taiwan issue is an internal matter of China. No other country has the right to interfere, let alone use force under the pretext of so-called ‚self-defense‘.“

Fu pointed out that such arguments hurt Japan's obligations as a defeated country, violated the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Japanese surrender, as well as the UN Charter principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.

„The allegations pose a serious challenge to the post-war international order and should be met with vigilance and resistance by all peace-loving countries. If Japan, under any pretext, exercises the right of so-called ‚collective self-defense‘ and intervenes in the Taiwan issue, it will constitute aggression against China and China will strike a direct blow,“ Fu added.

Wider reform of the UNSC

On the UNSC reform, Fu highlighted three points on Friday:

1. The Security Council should not become a „club“ for big or rich powers, and reform must not benefit only a few states.
2. There is a need to increase the representation and voice of developing countries, to involve more small and medium-sized states with an independent foreign policy, and to redress the historical injustices facing Africa, taking African demands into account as a priority.
3. Reform should not be limited to the current global power structure, but should be driven by a strategic and long-term vision.

CMG