Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing recently had telephone conversations with African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare and Nigerian Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji on the UN reform, according to sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry Friday.

Li said the reform of the United Nations Security Council relates with the common interests of all UN member states and concerns vital interests of all sides involved.

The reform should give full play to democracy for reaching broad consensus on the basis of thorough consultation, he said.

Under the circumstance that UN member states had yet reached consensus on the reform scheme, Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, known as G-4, "hastily proposed a draft resolution on UN Security Council expansion and forcefully pushed to vote on it," he said.

Such a move "is not conducive to the solidarity of UN members and runs counter to the original intention of UN reform," Li said,stressing that it also undermines the interests of developing countries.

Konare said China is a friend of Africa. China's stance is very important to African countries. Africa will not sacrifice itssolidarity for the UN Security Council reform, he said.

Adeniji said he understood China's concerns and was ready to keep close contacts with China on the UN reform issue.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2005)