Japan Confronts China, N. Korea at U.N. over Enemy State Clauses

New York, Sept. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan confronted China and North Korea at the U.N. General Assembly on Monday over the U.N. Charter's enemy state clauses, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for the clauses to be deleted in her U.N. speech on Sept. 22.

During Monday's session, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative Sun Lei said that the clauses provide institutional safeguards for maintaining the postwar international order and remain extremely important, adding that China firmly opposes their removal.

In response, Japanese Deputy Permanent Representative Shigeru Umetsu pointed out that many member states including China had supported a 1995 General Assembly resolution recognizing the clauses as "obsolete" and a 2005 resolution calling for their deletion.

Umetsu reiterated Japan's position that it "has squarely faced its history," and emphasized, "Japan has consistently walked the path of a peace-loving nation and has consistently contributed to peace and prosperity in the international community since the end of World War II."

North Korea then weighed in, asserting that "Japan remains an enemy state" under the U.N. Charter and calling Japan's request to delete the clauses "shameful and ridiculous." Japan countered this argument as well.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]