International resolution
China vetoes Bangladesh's UN admission, 1972
A draft Security Council resolution recommending Bangladesh's admission to the United Nations, sponsored by India, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, was vetoed by China on 25 August 1972 — China's first veto as a UN member.
What happened
On 23 August 1972, India, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia submitted a draft Security Council resolution (S/10771) that would have had the Council "recommend to the General Assembly that the People's Republic of Bangladesh be admitted to membership in the United Nations."[1] At the Council's 1660th meeting on 25 August 1972, China vetoed the draft resolution — its first veto since taking China's seat on the Council in 1971.[1] The vote was 11 in favour to 1 against (China), with 3 abstentions; China stated its opposition on the grounds that roughly 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war remained in Indian custody and that Pakistan had not yet recognised Bangladesh, positions aligned with its ally Pakistan.[2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: On 23 August 1972, India, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia submitted a draft Security Council resolution (S/10771) that would have had the Council "recommend to the General Assembly that the People's Republic of Bangladesh be admitted to membership in the United Nations"; China vetoed this draft at the Council's 1660th meeting on 25 August 1972, its first veto as a UN member.
- India; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia, Draft Security Council resolution S/10771 (India, USSR, United Kingdom and Yugoslavia) (United Nations Security Council, 23 August 1972) link, draft resolution text. Source record
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2.
Claim: The vote on the vetoed 1972 draft resolution was 11 in favour to 1 against (China) with 3 abstentions; China stated its opposition on the grounds that roughly 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war remained in Indian custody and that Pakistan had not yet recognised Bangladesh, positions aligned with its ally Pakistan.
- UNITED NATIONS: China's First Veto (TIME) link, Vote count and Chinese reasoning section. Source record
- Bangladesh and the United Nations (Wikipedia) link, Veto section. Source record