The Government of China has accused Japan of heading towards a relaxation of its limits on nuclear matters and has warned that moves to allow the presence of U.S. atomic weapons on Japanese territory or to incorporate nuclear-powered submarines constitute a threat to peace and stability both in Asia and globally.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, has spoken in this regard during a press conference, in response to the recent statements of Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, about a possible revision of the country's nuclear policy, made during an appearance before the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives held this Wednesday.
Takaichi left open the possibility of discussing the initiative of former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who proposed that, in exceptional situations, the entry or docking in Japanese ports of U.S. ships carrying nuclear weapons be authorized. This alternative would involve introducing exceptions to Japan's "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," which establish that the country must not possess, manufacture, or allow the introduction of atomic weapons into its territory.
"These statements once again reveal the excessive ambitions of the Japanese authorities to possess nuclear weapons," said Mao, who reproached the Japanese government for neglecting its international non-proliferation commitments.
The Chinese spokesperson emphasized that this stance poses a danger to regional and international security and rejected that such debates could be raised outside of legal obligations and the international framework established after World War II.
Mao also referred to the issue of nuclear-powered submarines, after Takaichi indicated that her government would analyze the matter "concretely and realistically," in a scenario marked, in her own words, by the increase in military activity of neighboring countries.
In light of this scenario, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated that Japan must adhere to its international commitments and respond to the concerns of other countries, while demanding that Tokyo abandon its rearmament plans.
The representative of Foreign Affairs has also urged the Japanese authorities to carry out a deep self-criticism regarding the crimes perpetrated by Japanese militarism in the past and to abandon any attempt at remilitarization or the acquisition of nuclear capabilities that, in her opinion, could once again place Japan in conflict with the international community.