The foreign ministries of China and Japan have clashed over a UN Charter provision referring to former Axis powers. China warned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi against military intervention in the Taiwan dispute, citing a UN Charter clause that permits action against former Axis powers without Security Council approval. Japan rebuked China for citing this clause, insisting it is outdated and irrelevant. Takaichi’s government has been embroiled in an escalating diplomatic tit-for-tat with Beijing, beginning with her remarks supporting the self-governing administration on Taiwan. Beijing interpreted her comments as signaling potential Japanese armed involvement and evidence of resurgent militarism. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo published an excerpt from the UN Charter referring to ‘enemy states’ and Article 53 allowing regional enforcement measures against such states in the event of a ‘renewal of aggressive policy.’ Beijing then lodged an official complaint with the UN over Takaichi’s statements, urging Japan to reflect on its historical crimes and change course on the Taiwan issue. Japan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed this argument, accusing China of misinterpreting ‘obsolete clauses’ that no longer align with UN practice. Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited a military base on Yonaguni and reiterated plans to deploy medium-range surface-to-air missiles there as part of a broader build-up on Japan’s southern island chain. Russia also has outstanding issues with Japan, with whom it still has no formal peace treaty.