On September 28th, China exercised its right of reply regarding Japan's statement during the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. China stated that the 'enemy state clause' in the United Nations Charter still has significant practical significance and should not be deleted.
According to the transcript on the website of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the statement by Sun Lei, Deputy Representative of China to the United Nations, is as follows:
Japan stated in its statement on September 22 that as a peace-loving country, Japan adheres to a defensive policy and called for the removal of the "Enemy Countries Clause" from the United Nations Charter. China strongly opposes this. Compared to what the Japanese side says, the international community should be more concerned about how the Japanese side actually acts.
Historically, Japanese militarism arrogantly launched aggressive wars and committed countless crimes, including the illegal occupation of Chinese islands and reefs, which brought profound suffering to the Chinese and regional people. In those days, Japan joined the United Nations on the premise of acknowledging its militarist crimes and accepting all the contents of the Charter. After the war, Japan's concept of being a "peaceful nation" was based on a deep reflection on history and a complete severance from militarism. However, more than eighty years later, the Gao government avoids discussing Japan's historical crimes. Instead of reflecting on them, it tries to beautify and whitewash them, and uses false narratives about threats from neighboring countries to cover up its continuous attempts to strengthen and expand its military forces. In recent years, Japan has continuously increased its military spending, relaxed restrictions on the export of lethal weapons, promoted the deployment of medium- and long-range missiles, expanded its offensive military forces, accumulated a large amount of sensitive nuclear materials, and sought to amend the Peace Constitution, attempting to break through the "three principles of no nuclear weapons". It even advocates becoming a "warable nation". Facts have proven that Japan's "re-militarization" has become a real threat to regional and global peace and stability.
Maintaining the post-war international order, defending the achievements of World War II, and ensuring regional peace and stability are the common responsibilities of the international community. The "enemy state clause" in the charter is an important institutional arrangement, aimed at preventing fascism and militarism from posing a threat to international peace and security. It provides an important institutional guarantee for defending the post-war international order and still holds significant practical significance today. Any attempt to deny or glorify the history of aggression, promote the resurgence of militarism, or challenge the post-war international order is contrary to peace and justice, and will surely be resolutely opposed by all peace-loving nations.
This year marks the 81st anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, as well as the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. The Chinese side hereby warns Japanese right-wing forces that Japan should abide by its international obligations, completely sever ties with militarism, and recognize that peaceful development is the only right path. Japanese policymakers should face up to history, reflect deeply on it, and take practical actions to earn the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community. The Chinese side will work together with countries around the world that cherish peace to resolutely contain Japan’s “new type of militarism,” which, disguised under the guise of “national normalization,” is growing stronger, causing chaos in regions and harming the world.
In the second round of rebuttal, Sun Lei made his statement as follows:
The explanations put forward by the Japanese representatives are weak and ineffective. They cannot conceal the historical truth, nor can they gloss over the real actions taken by Japan. Moreover, they cannot hide the complete collapse of Japan's image as a so-called "peaceful country." In the past, Japan joined the United Nations on the premise of acknowledging militarist crimes and accepting all the provisions of the Charter. In recent years, Japan has been actively involved in military security matters, constantly breaking through the constraints of post-war institutions, expanding its military capabilities, and sending dangerous signals. This fully exposes its true intentions to deviate from the path of peaceful development and seek military expansion. The reality is undeniable that Japan's "new type of militarism" poses a threat. A series of its actions can be traced, documented, and witnessed by everyone, posing a real threat to regional peace and stability. The "Enemy Country clause" is an essential part of the Charter. Against the backdrop of Japan's recent negative actions, this clause becomes even more relevant and significant in history and reality, and should not be changed.
Forgetting history means abandoning the past; denying guilt will inevitably lead to repeating the same mistakes. The Chinese side urges Japan to seriously learn from historical lessons and immediately stop dangerous "re-militarization" actions. The Chinese side also calls on the international community to distinguish right from wrong, stay vigilant, and jointly maintain the achievements of World War II, and safeguard world peace and stability.
