China's ambassador to the United Nations says Washington and Beijing have agreed to work together to block a plan by four U.S. allies to expand the United Nations Security Council.

Wang Guangya told reporters Thursday that he has reached an agreement with U.S. Ambassador John Bolton to block efforts by the so-called Group of Four - Brazil, India, Japan and Germany - to add six new permanent, non-veto wielding seats to the Security Council. He said the two men agreed to work independently to lobby what he called "our different friends in different parts of the world" to defeat the draft resolution.

The announcement came as African Union leaders meeting in Ethiopia rejected calls by the Group of Four to abandon efforts to get at least two permanent seats with veto-power reserved for African countries.

The Security Council currently has 15 members - 10 elected for two-year terms and five permanent members, the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, with veto power.