Japan, China and North Korea argue over the former enemy state clause at the UN General Assembly, rebelling against the Takaichi administration's insistence on its deletion

[New York Current Affairs] The General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly reached its final day on the 28th, and after all the speeches had concluded, there was a scene where Japan, China, and North Korea were at odds over the ``Former Enemies Clause'' in the United Nations Charter. Each of them exercised their right to answer.

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The trigger was the early deletion of the clause, which Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for in a speech on the 22nd. Sun Lei, China's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, argued that the clause "provides institutional protection to maintain the postwar international order, and remains extremely important today," and objected, saying, "China firmly opposes it."

In response, Japan's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Shigeru Umezu pointed out that the 1995 U.N. General Assembly resolution that recognized the clause as ``outdated'' and the 2005 U.N. General Assembly resolution that specified a policy for its deletion were both adopted with majority support, including from China. He reiterated his position that ``Japan has humbly faced the facts of history and actively contributed to international peace and security.''

After that, the North Korean representative also ``participated'' in the war. He asserted that ``Japan remains an enemy country under the United Nations Charter,'' and argued that the request for deletion was ``shameful and ridiculous.'' Mr. Umezu also refuted this claim.