China blocks draft to discuss coronavirus at the UNSC

Beijing : China has allegedly blocked a draft to discuss the global crisis due to coronavirus pandemic at the UNSC. The Covid 19 was first reported in Wuhan province which then led to the worldwide outbreak. More than 19,500 people have been reported dead and over 400,000 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported across the globe.

Interestingly, the Chair for the UNSC for the month of March is China. This means China will be deciding upon the agendas which will be discussed at the UNSC.

According to reports, China has blocked the draft on coronavirus and is not allowing the global issue to be discussed in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). While several nations want to have a discussion on the global crisis, China is believed to be obstructing the process continuously.

Earlier on March 3, China's UN Ambassador has said there is no need to panic over the coronavirus epidemic and that Beijing does not plan to discuss the situation in the Security Council during its Presidency this month. Beijing's UN envoy Zhang Jun said that there was no plan to have a "specific discussion" on COVID-19.

"With regard to the Security Council, at this moment, is the general feeling of member states, while we watch closely the situation, especially the new development, we do not need to go panicky about that epidemic," Zhang said during a press conference on the occasion of China assuming Presidency of the Council.

UNSC had last met on March 12 and then they had discussed "peace and security in Africa: countering terrorism and extremism in Africa" and the situation in Afghanistan.