Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is calling for the deletion of World War II “enemy state” clauses from the U.N. Charter, spotlighting language that China wants to retain amid soured bilateral relations between the Asian neighbors.
China is stepping up its criticism of what it claims is Japan’s remilitarization under Takaichi, who is seeking to bolster her country’s defense capabilities and spending in the face of an increasingly severe security environment.
The term “enemy state” in the U.N. Charter refers to the countries that lost World War II, including Japan. They remain in place despite a 2005 U.N. resolution, backed by member states including China, to remove such references.
They “must be deleted,” Takaichi said in her first address to the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York in September, becoming the first sitting Japanese leader in over 20 years to mention the clauses since then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
“I would like to strongly emphasize this position as Japan takes pride and honor in its significant contributions to the efforts of the United Nations,” she said.
The U.N. Charter allows “enforcement action” against any “enemy state,” such as Japan, Germany and Italy, without Security Council authorization if it is aimed at preventing a renewal of aggressive policies.
