Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has stated that China is unwilling at this stage to back India’s push for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Bolton noted that efforts to alter the makeup of the 15-member council have been ongoing for decades without success, and the likelihood of meaningful reform remains slim.

"I don't think China is movable on this question. I think that they like having five permanent members, which they are the only, really the only Asian country. And I don't see that changing," he told PTI.

Bolton stated that expanding the group of permanent members would necessitate an amendment to the UN Charter and indicated that China might obstruct India’s attempt to join.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 15 nations, including five permanent members that hold veto authority and ten non-permanent members chosen for two-year terms.

The five permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

"If, let's say, India was very successful and looked like it had support, I think China would veto an amendment to the UN Charter, which is what it would take to name a new permanent member," he added.

Bolton noted that several nations, such as Brazil and South Africa, had likewise pursued permanent membership, and that additional proposals had been put forward, while emphasizing that the UN as an institution was grappling with wider structural challenges.

I don’t see any way forward here. In my view, the UN is in very serious trouble,

The United Nations Security Council was created in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II, and its roster of permanent members has stayed the same ever since. India has consistently sought a permanent position on the Council and has advocated for its enlargement so that it better reflects the realities of the contemporary world.