Tensions between China and Japan flared dramatically after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae warned that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could create a “survival-threatening situation” under Japan’s 2015 security laws. These rules give Japan the legal authority to deploy its Self-Defense Forces, support U.S. military operations, and even use limited force to protect the country. By raising this alarm, Takaichi was sending an unprecedented signal: Japan might step into a Taiwan conflict—even if its own territory wasn’t directly attacked.
Beijing responded with a mix of anger and strategy. China quickly launched diplomatic protests, threatened economic retaliation, and made military warnings. In a striking move, it submitted a formal letter to the United Nations, accusing Japan of “aggression” while also reminding the world of its own right to self-defence. At the same time, the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo circulated U.N. Charter clauses originally applied to World War II Axis powers—including Japan—signalling a major shift in Beijing’s approach to Taiwan and Japan.
Legal moves with historical weight
China’s U.N. letter was more than a diplomatic note—it was a legal manoeuvre with deep implications. The letter accused Japan of making the most provocative statement on Taiwan since 1945, warning that any Japanese involvement in a Taiwan conflict could be seen as an “act of aggression.” Chinese officials also highlighted Articles 53, 77, and 107 of the U.N. Charter, clauses that classify Japan as a former enemy state.
Although politically considered outdated after a 1995 U.N. resolution, these clauses remain legally binding. By reviving them, China is trying to:
- Psychologically pressure Japan, framing any military move toward Taiwan as a return to militarism.
- Block Japan’s ambitions for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
- Turn Taiwan from a regional dispute into a matter of defending the post-World War II order.
China’s goal isn’t to win a legal case—it’s to shape the battlefield of ideas, narrow Japan’s choices, and recast Taiwan in a historical and moral context.
Rewriting history to fit strategy
China’s legal tactics are paired with an attempt to reshape historical memory. In a phone call with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Xi Jinping described “Taiwan’s return to China” as part of the post-war international order, but this overlooks a crucial fact: In 1945, it was the Republic of China (ROC), not the People’s Republic of China (PRC), that formally accepted Taiwan from Japan.
Beijing’s story depends on the “successor-state” saga, efficiently expunging Taiwan’s sustained presence and survival under the ROC since 1949. Nevertheless, international law identifies Taiwan as an autonomous unit—governing its land, maintaining its armed forces, issuing passports, conducting elections, and managing its own money and courts. By reframing Taiwan as an ethical and historic question, China pursues legitimacy for its territorial desires while aligning itself as a protector and guardian of the post-war order—even if that understanding opposes the values and ideals of self-government and nonviolent conflict resolution.
A delicate dance with the U.S.
China’s identical tactics—lawfare and historical narrative—aren’t just intended for Japan. They also seek to shape U.S. responses. After Xi’s call with Trump, Beijing reportedly offered to boost U.S. soybean procurements, appealing to economic benefits while delicately discouraging Washington from providing strong support to Japan.
This method offers three challenges for the U.S.:
- Not allowing temporary commercial interests to dwarf long-standing policy.
- Maintaining its role as the region’s stabiliser, preventing both Chinese growth and uncontrolled Japanese aggression.
- Dodging being drawn into a needless warfare while still preserving preemption.
The China-Japan-Taiwan three-way relationship is unstable and swiftly changing, and Washington and its partners must step cautiously, balancing peacekeeping, pre-emption, and historical mindfulness to thwart pressures from whirling out of control.
