Jakarta. Indonesia and China pledged their support for Palestine to become a member of the United Nations (UN) as the premier decision-making body will soon hold votes on its membership.

Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi is currently in Jakarta -- a visit which he kicked off by meeting his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. The Gaza conflict was among the key themes both diplomats had discussed in their bilateral talks. 

“And just like what Mr. Wang Yi has said, both China and Indonesia will fully support Palestine’s full membership at the UN,” Retno told reporters following the meeting.

The UN Security Council will cast votes on a draft resolution that recommends Palestine’s membership at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) Friday, according to Reuters.

The UN Security Council has 15 members: five permanent and 10 non-permanent. China, the US, the UK, France, and Russia are all permanent members, meaning they have the power to veto a resolution. A resolution will only pass if it amasses nine votes in favor and no vetoes. Once Palestine gets the council’s recommendation, it will need a two-thirds majority vote of the 193-member UN General Assembly before it can become a full member. 

Israel is already a UN member, while Palestine today only serves as an observer to the international body. Palestine’s non-member observer status means that it can speak at General Assembly meetings, but it cannot vote on resolutions.

During the presser, Wang Yi did not hold back on his criticisms of the US’s stance on the Gaza conflict. The body has seen the US -- a key ally and military backer of Israel -- using its veto power to block ceasefire resolutions. In late March, the US finally abstained, allowing the UN Security Council to pass the 2728 resolution, which called for an immediate ceasefire during the remainder of Ramadan. 

“But the US called the [2728] resolution ‘non-binding’, and the world was very shocked by what the US said. This shows that to the US, international law is only a tool they use as they want. The UN Charter has stated that the security council’s resolutions are binding to all UN members,” Wang Yi said.

He added: “The US should put aside its ego, and listen carefully to what the international community says. I believe American government officials should learn basic knowledge.”

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