Japan PM's call at U.N. for cutting WWII "enemy" clause may roil China ties

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is calling for the deletion of World War II "enemy state" clauses from the U.N. Charter, spotlighting language that China wants to retain amid soured bilateral relations between the Asian neighbors.

China is stepping up its criticism of what it claims is Japan's remilitarization under Takaichi, who is seeking to bolster her country's defense capabilities and spending in the face of an increasingly severe security environment.