State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said Wednesday in a meeting with visiting Dutch foreign minister that China is not in favor of setting a time limit for reforms of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.  

Tang made the remarks during a meeting with Bernard Rudolf Bot, who is in Beijing on an official visit from April 9 to 14 as guest of Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

The UN reforms should reflect the general aspiration of the international community and should be made with extensive support, Tang said.

The reform plans should emphasize the concerns of developing countries, which account for more than two-thirds of UN member states, he added.

The Security Council reform should be characterized by democracy, and a wide consensus should be reached through ample consultations, Tang acknowledged.

Bot said the UN reforms involve reforms in various areas, and all of the reforms have equal importance and should not be neglected because of overemphasizing Security Council expansion.

Tang and Bot also had an exchange of views on Sino-Dutch ties. Tang said bilateral ties between China and the Netherlands have good opportunities and the two sides should benefit from the political situation for growth of Sino-Dutch relations.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a report in late March on reforming the United Nations. In his report, Annan called for a decision by the General Assembly on the expansion of the 15-nation Security Council before world leaders gather in New York in September for a UN summit.

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2005)