(MENAFN) Japan has criticized China for invoking a UN Charter provision that allows action against former Axis powers without prior Security Council approval, asserting that the rule is outdated and no longer applicable.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s newly formed government has become entangled in an intensifying diplomatic exchange with Beijing, triggered by her recent remarks supporting Taiwan’s self-governing administration.

China interpreted her warning that a cross-strait conflict could create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan as suggesting possible Japanese military involvement and evidence of a revival of militarism.

Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo highlighted a segment of the UN Charter referring to “enemy states” – countries that opposed the original Allied Powers during World War II.

Article 53 permits regional enforcement actions against such nations if they resume aggressive policies, without needing prior approval from the UN Security Council.

Following this, Beijing formally filed a complaint with the UN regarding Takaichi’s comments. The embassy urged Japan, described as “a defeated country in World War II,” to “reflect on its historical crimes” and reconsider its stance on Taiwan.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry rejected China’s interpretation, arguing that the “obsolete clauses” cited no longer correspond with contemporary UN practice.

Although the UN General Assembly suggested eliminating the “enemy state” language in 1995, the necessary formal amendment process was never finalized.

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