Saturday, September 3 2005 14:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: China, actively campaigning against the G-4 draft resolution on United Nations (UN) reforms, has roped in Sri Lanka to back its stance against time-bound reform of the world body even as the two sides discussed possibilities of setting up institutional links between South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and Beijing.

According to a Joint communiqué issued here late last night (September 2, 2005) at the end of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's state visit to China, the two sides stressed that UN reform should be based on the principle of 'widest possible consensus.'

The communiqué, carried by the official Xinhua news agency, noted that on the forthcoming 60th Session of the United Nations, "The two sides agreed that the UN reform should be effected on the basis of the widest possible consensus of the entire international community, including the developing countries."

China and Sri Lanka agreed to continue consultations on all issues of mutual concerns in international arena, including on practical action towards realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, human rights and anti-terrorism, the communiqué said.

It said that the two sides also expressed their view that the next Secretary General of the United Nations should be a representative of the Asian Region.

The communiqué said the two sides welcomed strengthening of ties between China and South Asian States following exchange of high-level political and other visits and discussed the possibilities of setting up institutional links between the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and China.