Japan's long-cherished desire to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council remains as strong as ever, but realizing that aspiration in the near future is becoming extremely difficult in the face of stiff objections from certain countries. The government's strategy for expanding the council, worked out in tandem with three other aspirants to permanent membership — Germany, India and Brazil — needs a wholesale review.

The four countries, known as the G4, have decided not to seek a General Assembly vote on their joint proposal, despite months of careful preparations and vigorous efforts to secure votes. The G4 plan — the "framework resolution" — called for increasing the number of permanent members from five to 11 (including two from Africa) and that of nonpermanent members from 10 to 14.

One major reason behind the decision is that the quartet has failed to win the support of the 53-member African Union. In addition, China, the only permanent member from Asia, has mounted an aggressive campaign to block the Japanese bid. The United States, moreover, has flatly rejected the G4 initiative, thus effectively closing the door to Japanese entry as a permanent member. A critical view prevailing here is that the Foreign Ministry may have been too optimistic in its analysis of the situation.