China in 2005 helped scuttle a joint bid by Brazil, Germany, India and Japan for seats on the powerful body. But it has since been careful in its public remarks, often saying simply that it wants to work with others on the issue.

But in a secret cable obtained by whistleblower site WikiLeaks, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei told a US diplomat that China "was concerned by 'momentum' that was building on UN Security Council reform."

He said that the current set-up of a Permanent Five with veto power -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- should not be "diluted," according to the document reprinted by The Guardian newspaper.

"If we end up with a 'P-10,' both China and the United States would 'be in trouble,'" He was quoted as saying by the US charge d'affaires in Beijing, Dan Piccuta.

"Moreover, it would be difficult for the Chinese public to accept Japan as a permanent member" of the Security Council, he was quoted as saying, asking the United States not to be "proactive" on the issue.

The US diplomat, speaking in April 2009, replied that "no decision had been made about which countries to support for permanent membership."

But he added: "It was hard to envision any expansion of the Council that did not include Japan, which was the second-largest contributor to the UN budget."

President Barack Obama, on a state visit last month to New Delhi, came out in support of India on an expanded Security Council.

The United States has previously only openly supported Japan on the body.

China has historic tensions with Japan, which flared up this year when Tokyo captured a Chinese vessel in disputed waters. However, the meeting recounted in the cable took place when ties between the nations were comparatively stable.

China also has a longstanding border dispute with India.

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