NEW YORK, July 28 (UPI) -- Japan's foreign minister warned opposition to Japan's support to the United Nations could grow if Tokyo is denied a permanent seat on the Security Council.
"There was a strong opinion at a town meeting held by the Foreign Ministry the other day that Japan should drastically reduce the amount," Nobutaka Machimura told reporters at U.N. Headquarters, the Asahi Shimbun reported Thursday.
"If Japan fails to become a permanent member of the UNSC, it is easy to imagine that such opinions would rapidly develop," Machimura said. But he noted the position is not the Japanese government's official policy.
Currently, Japan's financial contributions make up about 20 percent of the annual U.N. budget, second only to the United States.
Machimura is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday at the State Department in Washington.
