April 03, New Delhi – The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on a Bahraini resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but China, which holds the veto, has made its opposition to any authorization of the use of force clear.
Diplomats said that Bahrain, which currently chairs the 15-member Security Council, finalized a draft resolution that would authorize "all necessary defensive measures" to protect commercial shipping.
Bahrain had previously removed an explicit reference to binding enforcement in an effort to address objections from other nations, particularly Russia and China.
The draft authorizes the measures "for a period of at least six months and until the council decides otherwise." However, speaking to the Security Council on Thursday morning, China's UN envoy Fu Cong opposed any authorization for the use of force.
