▲ Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at the UN General Assembly
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi demanded the prompt removal of the "enemy state clause," which sets rules for military action by UN founding members against World War II defeated nations, during her UN General Assembly speech in New York on September 22 (local time).
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and other sources, Prime Minister Takaichi, delivering her first UN General Assembly speech since taking office, argued for the deletion of the enemy state clause from the UN Charter.
The enemy state clause is a provision that allowed victorious nations of World War II to take military action without authorization or a declaration of war from the UN Security Council (UNSC) to prevent a recurrence of military provocations by defeated nations such as Germany and Japan.
After Prime Minister Takaichi hinted at "intervention in a Taiwan contingency" in November of last year, China cited this clause to argue for the legitimacy of military countermeasures against Japan.
In response, Japan has maintained that the clause has already become obsolete through a UN General Assembly resolution.
Along with the removal of the enemy state clause, Prime Minister Takaichi also called for UN Security Council reform.
Mentioning Russia's invasion of Ukraine—a permanent member of the Security Council—she stated that the number of both permanent members, currently consisting of five countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, and non-permanent members should be expanded.
Prime Minister Takaichi's demands for the deletion of the enemy state clause and the restructuring of the Security Council are interpreted as an intention to keep China's growing influence in check amid escalating confrontations and to strengthen Japan's international standing by bolstering its defense capabilities.
In this context, Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that "Japan has consistently contributed to peace and prosperity in the international community as a peaceful nation based on the principle of exclusively defense-oriented policy (exercising defense power only when attacked by other countries)."
She also stated that she considers it her country's mission to lead efforts toward a "world without nuclear weapons" as the sole nation to have suffered atomic bombings, adding that efforts must be made to maintain and strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) system, in which both nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states participate.
She also expressed concern over the spread of nuclear and missile technology resulting from military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
In a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump held prior to her speech, Prime Minister Takaichi emphasized the need to jointly respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile issues and the shared U.S.-Japan resolve toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
To resolve the issue of Japanese abductions by North Korea, she stated that she is "ready for dialogue and concrete action" and repeatedly proposed a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
While stating that Japan consistently supports international tribunals such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) based on the rule of law, Prime Minister Takaichi did not mention sanctions by the Trump administration.
With China in mind, she proposed international cooperation to enhance capabilities to respond to supply disruptions of critical minerals and other goods, while also proposing that Japan host an early "AI Summit" to address the risks of high-performance artificial intelligence.
Taking advantage of her attendance at the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Takaichi held her first talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for about 20 minutes since taking office.
Regarding Russia's invasion, she stated, "We will work hard to support Ukraine and enforce sanctions against Russia in solidarity with the international community."
Kyodo News reported that President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Japan's support, stating that sanctions are serving as a firm source of pressure on Russia, and requested the participation of Japanese companies in post-war reconstruction.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) following his meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi, President Zelenskyy noted, "Japan possesses advanced technology in the air defense sector capable of saving human lives, and Ukraine is ready to share its experience and technology."
He also revealed that he had invited Prime Minister Takaichi to Ukraine.
Jiji Press commented that President Zelenskyy appeared to have expressed expectations for military support during his meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi.
Following her meetings with President Trump and President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Takaichi met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to express intentions for the swift conclusion of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and cooperation in defense equipment.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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