International opinion has voiced widespread criticism of the fallacious claims made by senior Japanese officials that Japan should possess nuclear weapons. Considering Japanese media reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to revise the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi's remarks that no option should be ruled out in discussions on those principles, these successive and dangerous signals on nuclear armament constitute an open challenge to the postwar international order and the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and have become a serious threat to world peace and development.
In 1967, then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato proposed the Three Non-Nuclear Principles in a speech to the National Diet, namely, not possessing, not producing, and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons. In 1971, these principles were formally incorporated into a resolution of the House of Representatives, becoming a baseline commitment through which Japan projected its peaceful stance to the international community. However, the rightward shift in Japan's political landscape has grown increasingly pronounced in recent years. Since taking office, the Sanae Takaichi government's series of moves to expand armaments has laid bare its ambition to revive militarism, reducing Japan's "non-nuclear" commitment to little more than empty words.
From a legal perspective, Japan's pursuit of nuclear weapons would violate its international legal obligations under documents such as the Potsdam Proclamation, as well as the constraints imposed by its own pacifist constitution. Under internationally binding i nstruments, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, Japan is required to be completely disarmed and prohibited from maintaining industries that would enable it to rearm. As a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Japan must strictly comply with its obligations not to accept, manufacture, possess, or proliferate nuclear weapons. It is explicitly stipulated in Article 9 of its pacifist constitution that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
From a moral standpoint, Japan, as an aggressor in WWII, committed crimes so grave as to defy full enumeration, and therefore has no moral legitimacy whatsoever to possess nuclear weapons. Yet for a long time, right-wing forces within Japan have sought to downplay or deny its history of aggression, and have even attempted to resurrect militarism through actions such as revising history textbooks and paying homage at the Yasukuni Shrine. Such disregard for, and betrayal of, history has cast serious doubt on whether Japan can adhere to the fundamental bottom line of peace. Should Japan acquire nuclear weapons, it would disrupt the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific, trigger a domino effect, and further exacerbate tensions in Northeast Asia, thus posing a grave threat to regional and international peace and stability.
Even more alarming, nuclear armament could embolden Japan's right-wing forces, serving as a dangerous stimulant that encourages greater adventurism and belligerence in international disputes. History has already shown that once unrestrained, Japanese militarism inevitably embarks on a path of aggression and expansion. If Japan were to acquire nuclear weapons, it would be highly likely to revive an aggressive external policy, resort to nuclear coercion in territorial disputes and regional affairs, and potentially trigger local conflicts or even nuclear war, which would bring catastrophic consequences to peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world.
As victorious countries of WWII, China, Russia, the US, the UK, and others bear a legal responsibility to prevent Japan from pursuing this dangerous course toward nuclear armament. At present, China, Russia, and other countries have issued warnings in response to Japanese officials' pro-nuclear remarks, strongly urging Japan to abide by international law and its own constitution and to cease rushing headlong down a misguided path. The Korean Central News Agency has likewise stressed that Japan's ambition to acquire nuclear weapons must be resolutely stopped.
In the face of Japan's ambition to revive militarism, the international community must act in unity. It should strengthen the verification role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), compel Japan to disclose its nuclear material stockpiles and their intended uses, and fully utilize the authority of the UN Security Council by adopting resolutions to place constraints on Japan's nuclear technology development. Meanwhile, the victorious powers of WWII must be urged to fulfill their legal responsibilities and act in concert to form a robust deterrent force.
The lessons of history are searing, and the specter of militarism has never truly vanished. Japan's pursuit of nuclear weapons would not only inflict renewed harm on the feelings of victimized nations but also constitute a blatant challenge to peace and development for all humankind. Resolutely stopping Japan's nuclear ambitions and safeguarding the postwar peace order is an expression of respect for history, a responsibility to future generations, and an indispensable path toward building a nuclear-weapon-free world and maintaining global peace and security.
Editor's note: Originally published on news.cri.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.