In a major embarrassment to China, the other 4 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the United States, UK, Russia, and France thwarted the attempt to discuss Kashmir at a closed-door UN Security Council. The non-permanent members of the UNSC also argued against the proposal of discussing Kashmir. As per a report in the Economic Times, America which is holding the rotating chair for UNSC led the opposition against the proposal.
Similarly, France also rejected the proposal by arguing that the Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. One of the French diplomats said, "Our position has been very clear. Kashmir issue has to be treated bilaterally. We have highlighted this several times recently, including in New York."
The UK supports India's claim on Kashmir
The most encouraging support in UNSC came from the United Kingdom which supported India's claim on Kashmir for the first time ever. Russia also did not favour the Chinese proposal and argued that other important global issues should be on the agenda.
It is to be noted that the development has come just ahead of Wang Yi's expected trip to India this month for special representative (SR) talks. As per a few media reports, the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval of India and China Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be meeting in the third or the fourth week of December in Agra. The Chinese Foreign Minister is expected to arrive in India on December 20 and the meeting will probably be scheduled on December 21 in Agra. However, the official word is yet to come. Further, India and United States is also holding the second round of 2+2 ministerial meeting in Washington where India's defence minister Rajnath Singh will meet his US counterpart, Mike Esper.
Sources privy to the build-up said that the Chinese proposal was a way to flex muscle just before the next edition of SR talks with India. The proposal was to call for a discussion on India's action on the revised map published by the Indian government after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. One of the people close to the development said, "A closed-door session in UNSC towards the closing of the Security Council for the holidays and one day before 2+2 talks and three days before Wang Yi's visit to India on 21 Dec for the SR talks on the border does not make sense if Beijing did not want to pressurize India on the boundary issue."
