China 'shocked' by U.S. reversal on U.N. coronavirus action: diplomat
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Michelle Nichols
3-4 minutes
China and the United States both supported a draft United
Nations Security Council resolution confronting the coronavirus
pandemic on Thursday and it was “shocking and regretful” that Washington
changed its mind on Friday, a Chinese diplomat said.
FILE
PHOTO: The United Nations Headquarters is pictured as it will be
temporarily closed for tours due to the spread of coronavirus in the
Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 10, 2020.
REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
A U.S. diplomat refuted the Chinese comment, saying there was no U.S. agreement on the text.
For
more than six weeks the 15-member council has been trying to agree on a
text that ultimately aims to back a March 23 call by U.N. chief Antonio
Guterres for a ceasefire in global conflicts so the world can focus on
the pandemic.
But talks have been stymied by a stand-off between
China and the United States over whether to mention the World Health
Organization. The United States does not want a reference, China has
insisted it be included, while some other members see the mention - or
not - of WHO as a marginal issue, diplomats said.
Washington has
halted funding for the WHO, a U.N. agency, after President Donald Trump
accused it of being “China-centric” and promoting China’s
“disinformation” about the outbreak, assertions the WHO denies.
It
appeared the Security Council had reached a compromise late on
Thursday, diplomats said and according to the latest version of a
French- and Tunisian drafted-resolution.
Instead of naming the
WHO, the draft referenced “specialized health agencies.” The WHO is the
only such agency. But the United States rejected that language on
Friday, diplomats said, because it was an obvious reference to the
Geneva-based WHO.
“The United States had agreed to the compromise
text and it’s shocking and regretful that the U.S. changed its
position,” said the Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of
anonymity, on Saturday, adding that China supported the draft.
The
U.S. diplomat, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was
no U.S. agreement on the text, which the U.S. mission to the United
Nations had sent to Washington for review on Thursday.
Diplomats
said that during negotiations both China and the United States had
raised the prospect of a veto on the issue of whether WHO is mentioned
or not. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by France,
Russia, Britain, the United States or China to pass.
A State
Department spokesperson said on Friday the United States had worked
constructively and accused China of repeatedly blocking compromises
during negotiations.
While the Security Council - charged with
maintaining international peace and security - cannot do much to deal
with the coronavirus itself, diplomats and analysts say it could have
projected global unity by backing Guterres’ ceasefire call.
French
U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière on Friday said “we are still trying
to achieve a positive result and trying to see if there is a possible
compromise.”
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