United Nations - China yesterday vetoed a continued UN peacekeeping force in Macedonia to protest at Skopje's establishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
China, a permanent Security Council member, vetoed a UN draft resolution which had proposed a further six-month extension of the UN peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslav republic.
The veto means that the 1,049-strong UN force in Macedonia should technically be wound up when its mandate expires on Sunday. The Macedonian ambassador, Mr Naste Calovski deplored the fact that China had acted out of "bilateral considerations," which he said was "something which we all consider to be in true contradiction with the ideals of our organisation." Russia, another permanent council member, abstained.