US to back India for permanent UN Security Council seat (!!)

[Јas]

Was this just an off the cuff remark

It was a central part of his speech to the Indian Parliament.

or something the administration actually wants to do?

It was very useful though for a number of reasons - Obama pretty much put India on notice for how it will act during it's upcoming temporary rotation on the Council; it gave him cover for what was otherwise a somewhat confrontational speech in parts (see references to nuclear non-proliferation; Burma); and it isn't something Obama needs to worry about actually implementing any time soon, if at all.

Does the coalition that supported the Brazil-India-Germany-Japan permanent SC seats back in the nineties still exist?

Yes

I believe that deal/proposal also hilariously included a veto seat that rotated between big African nations.

Various proposals have existed regard boosted African representation - but I'm not aware of any (serious) proposal that proposed extending veto power to anyone - nevermind random African states.

Perhaps more importantly, does the coalition that opposed it still exist? IIRC, Mexico and Argentina opposed Brazil's bid, Pakistan opposed India, the Netherlands and a few other European countries opposed it in favor of a permanent EU seat or some such, China and South Korea opposed it for regional reasons, and a few countries like Canada opposed it on principle.

Yes, pretty much. Internal EU opposition to Germany has been waning though.
Canada doesn't oppose in principle (except officially, no doubt) - they're concerned about a dilution in their status. (That they lost the recent Council elections probably won't help either.)

[Јas]

"China... will be pleased to see India become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council."

Reposting this because it seems like it went unnoticed. Although a few years old, this comment seemed to have represented an alteration in Chinese policy towards India. In the context it seems sort of like an empty statement, kind of like Obama's was, but regardless it shows that this isn't something China would take offense at.

Well, you'l find that that secondhand remark is as good as it gets for India on a Chinese statement on Indian Security Council hopes. It's unclear though whether or not it was actually said, or whether that's what the Indians took as the Chinese saying, or whether that's the spin India put on it. You'll not find any public declaration by a senior Chinese figure that says anything much like this then, now or inbetween. Colour me skeptical.

You're right that Pakistan (and the voting bloc that Pakistan can sway) are the bigger problem - but China is at best far from a given for supporting India.

[Јas]

WikiLeaked: China warns U.S. not to expand Security Council - Foreign Policy

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