The foreign ministries of China and Japan have clashed over provisions in the UN Charter that refer to former Axis powers. Chinese officials have warned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi against military intervention in the Taiwan dispute, interpreting her recent remarks as signaling potential Japanese armed involvement.
Japan has rebuked China for citing the clause, insisting it is outdated and irrelevant to modern international relations. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo published an excerpt from the UN Charter which includes a provision allowing regional enforcement measures against such states without Security Council approval. This has led to an official complaint from Beijing to the UN, urging Japan to reflect on its historical crimes and change course on the Taiwan issue.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed this argument, accusing China of misinterpreting obsolete clauses that no longer align with UN practice. Meanwhile, Japan’s military is continuing its buildup on its southern island chain, with defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi visiting a military base on Yonaguni, an island about 110km east of Taiwan.
Additionally, Russia and Japan still have no formal peace treaty, with Japan continuing to insist on its claim to the four southernmost Kuril Islands, a long-standing focal point for Japanese nationalists.