A Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday that decisions on UN Security Council reform should be made following full discussions in line with democratic principles of international relations and not with a set time limit or in a hasty manner.

Shen Guofang, assistant to the foreign minister, made the remarks in London while attending deputy-ministerial level consultations among the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Security Council reform is an issue important to the UN's future and the interests of its member states, he said.

He said China supports reform and expansion of the Security Council as well as participation of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized nations, in policymaking on the Security Council.

However, Shen said it is strongly opposed to any “forced” voting on reform programs that are still controversial.

Representatives of the five permanent member states agreed during the consultations that Security Council reform should not affect overall UN reforms or preparations for the summit scheduled in September, and that all five should engage in constant consultation and coordination on the issue.

Also on Wednesday, Shen held bilateral consultations on UN reform with both his US and UK counterparts.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)