China and the United States both supported a draft United Nations Security Council resolution confronting the coronavirus pandemic last Thursday, and it was "shocking and regretful" that Washington changed its mind last Friday, a Chinese diplomat said.
A US diplomat refuted the Chinese comment, saying there was no US 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 UN chief Antonio Guterres for a ceasefire in global conflicts so the world can focus on the pandemic.
However, talks have been stymied by a stand-off between China and the US over whether to mention the World Health Organization (WHO).
The US doesn't want a reference, China has insisted it be included, while some other members see the mentionor notof WHO as a marginal issue, diplomats said.
Washington has halted funding for WHO, a UN agency, after President Donald Trump accused it of being "China-centric" and promoting China's "disinformation" about the outbreak, assertions WHO denies.
It appeared the council had reached a compromise last Thursday, said diplomats and according to the latest version of a French-and Tunisian-drafted resolution. Instead of naming WHO, the draft referenced "specialised health agencies". However, the US rejected that language last Friday, because it was an obvious reference to WHO, which is the only such agency.
"The US had agreed to the compromise text and it's shocking and regretful that the US changed its position," said the Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Saturday.
The US diplomat, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no US agreement on the text, which the US mission to the UN had sent to Washington for review last Thursday.
Diplomats said that during talks, both China and the US had raised the prospect of a veto on the issue. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by France, Russia, Britain, the US or China to pass.
While the council can't do much to deal with the virus itself, diplomats say it could have projected global unity by backing Mr Guterres' ceasefire call.
- REUTERS