2006-07-15

Veto count in UNSC: China only did it 5 times in past 60 years

According to BBC, as of Sep 2003
  • Since 1945, when the United Nations was founded, the Soviet Union and Russia have used their veto at the Security Council 120 times, the United States 76 times, Britain 32, France 18 and China only five.
  • Between 1946 and 1971, the Chinese seat at the Security Council was occupied by the Republic of China (Taiwan), which used its veto once to block Mongolia's application for UN membership.

    China vetoed resolutions twice in 1972: once to block Bangladeshi membership and once, with Russia, on the situation in the Middle East.

    Other vetoes were in 1999 blocking the extension of the mandate of United Nations Preventive Deployment Force in Macedonia and in 1997 blocking the sending of 155 UN observers to Guatemala to verify a ceasefire.

China has not exercised its veto between September 2003 and today.

Here are the reasons for the 5 vetos
  1. 1955, By Republic of China (KMT government) to block Mongolia's application for UN membership, because it believed Mongolia was part of China
  2. 1972, PRC vetoed Bangladesh's application to UN membership on behalf of its ally Pakistan (ally formed after India invaded China in 1962)
  3. 1973, PRC (together with USSR) veto a resolution on the ceasefire in the Yom Kippur War (presumanly the resolution was sponsored by Israel's sponsor US)
  4. 1997, to punish Guatemala for having diplomatic relationship with ROC
  5. 1999, to punish Macedonia for establishing diplomatic relationship with ROC
It is quite obvious that mainland China's top priority is still Taiwan. It is also extremely unlikely that China will exercise its veto right over N Korea this time. (both 1997 and 1999 vetoes were signals against anyone who attempted to sponsor Taiwan's application to the UN)

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Quiz: There is another country which effectively holds veto power, and has exercised more times than Uk did, which country is it?
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Update:
RESOLUTION 1695 (2006)
Demands Suspension of All Related Ballistic Missile Activity;
Urges Country to Return Immediately to Six-Party Talks Without Precondition

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5 comments:

Sun Bin said...

It seems it was the European who tried to make sense, The UK/France proposed amendment may be accepted by all parties.

Anonymous said...

Are you referring to Israel? Or am I completely off-track?

Sun Bin said...

right. at least 37 times now.

Sun Bin said...

as expected, japan did not get its way. the UN resolution
1) requires all U.N. member states "in accordance with their national legal authorities" to prevent imports and exports of any material or funds relating to the reclusive Communist nation's missile programs or weapons of mass destruction. -- i.e. at your own discretion
2) no chapter 7

Sun Bin said...

business week on Dandong