China supports expansion of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, but was non-committal about Germany's bid for permanent membership for which visiting Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was pushing.
The issue was a focus of his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing, Fischer told reporters.
"When it comes to UN reform, we want to co-ordinate our efforts. I also informed my colleague that Germany's goal is a permanent seat within a reformed Security Council."
It was not clear if he was able to win China's backing.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue merely said China recognised Germany played an important role on the international stage and hoped that role could be developed.
"We think after nearly 60 years of change, the United Nations should advance its reform and the Security Council should also expand as appropriate," Zhang said.
"We know that in Europe and in the world, Germany has developed a very important role and we hope to see Germany further develop its influence and role."
Germany, a major contributor to the UN budget, has long sought a full seat on the Security Council, whose five permanent members - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - took their places after World War Two.
Fischer told reporters he saw Sino-German co-operation in the United Nations as positive.
"We co-operate very well in the United Nations. The last 18 months have shown that, and we're both convinced that a more efficient UN is needed if multilateralism is to be strengthened," he said.
Fischer was scheduled to meet other Chinese officials, including Premier Wen Jiabao, during his short visit.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder made an unusually open call in March for Germany to be given a seat, saying the Council needed reforms and citing Germany's increased global military role.
Officials in Berlin have said they felt Germany would be able to gain the necessary two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly and had the support of at least three of the five permanent council members - France, Russia and Britain.
Security Council reform has been debated for at least a decade by the General Assembly. All agree the system is weighted toward the industrial world, but no one region agrees on which countries to put forward for permanent seats.
Those in power are not rushing to dilute it.
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