On April 29, 2023, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform of the 77th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, namely Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the UN Tareq M. A. M. AlBanai and Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN Alexander Marschik, in Beijing.

Wang Yi said that as the first founding member state to sign the UN Charter and a permanent member of the Security Council, China has always unswervingly supported the cause of the UN, and firmly upheld the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Noting the volatile and chaotic international situation and the interference and disruption of unilateralism and power politics, Wang Yi stressed the need to hold high the banner of true multilateralism and enable the UN to play a key role in maintaining world peace and development.

Wang Yi said that in the reform of the Security Council, efforts should be made to uphold fairness and justice, increase the representation and voice of developing countries, allow more small and medium-sized countries to participate in the decision-making of the Security Council, and in particular, correct historical injustices to Africa. Wang Yi stressed the need to stay committed to a “package” solution, a consensus-based approach, and the intergovernmental negotiation platform’s role as the main channel. He expressed the hope that the co-chairs will guide all parties to steer clear of disruptions and build consensus, so as to win broad endorsement of the reform of the Security Council from the international community and ensure that the results can withstand the test of history.

AlBanai and Marschik applauded China’s commitment to strengthening the role of the UN, upholding multilateralism, and safeguarding the authority of the UN. They said that the principles and purposes of the UN Charter are particularly important for small and medium-sized countries, and expressed readiness to strengthen communication and consultation with China and other member states on the issue of the reform of the Security Council.