Visiting former UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar said in Kuwait City on November 10 that China, the world's most populous and biggest emerging power, will become a very important country.

"I don't think the new world order will last very long, because I think other countries will emerge as very important countries, such as China," de Cuellar said in an interview with Kuwait the power of the US."

But he urged Washington to "use its influence in a moderate manner." He underlined that the US "has to understand that in order to be respected by all countries it should act within the limits of the UN Charter."

On the possibility of increasing the number of the permanent Security Council members, de Cuellar said it is something that should be considered, but it will not be easy.

He said that in most of the cases, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the US, Britain, Russia, France and China, have been more or less united.

He also called for efforts to eradicate the world poverty, which he believed has affected the world peace, security and stability, citing examples of some African and South American countries.

De Cuellar stressed that development of the developing countries is something urgent, saying "many problems we are facing now are problems whose origin is underdevelopment."

During his stay here, De Cuellar discussed with Kuwaiti leaders the issue of more than 600 Kuwaiti and third country nationals allegedly still being held in Iraq. He voiced his support for a quick solution to the humanitarian matter.

Javier Perez de Cuellar served as UN Secretary General from 1982 to 1992.