Opening the Door for U.S. Nuclear Submarines: Takahashi Hayato Implies Amending the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles"
Takahashi Hayato immediately revealed her true level upon taking office.
This is not the end of the storm over "using force in the Taiwan Strait," and recently, Takahashi Hayato hinted at possibly amending the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" during a parliamentary hearing.
When asked about this issue, Takahashi Hayato claimed that she "could not guarantee that Japan's new national security strategy will continue to clearly include the three principles of 'not possessing, not manufacturing, and not introducing nuclear weapons'." - a typical example of an unguarded response. Other Japanese politicians would not dare to answer such questions directly, but Takahashi Hayato speaks without thinking, openly saying what others would not.
In response to this move by Japan, China's Foreign Ministry has expressed serious concerns. Spokesman Lin Jian pointed out that although Japan claims to be a "peaceful country," Takahashi Hayato's avoidance of a clear statement on upholding the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and the Japanese government's discussion about introducing nuclear-powered submarines fully exposes a major negative shift in Japan's policies, raising doubts about whether Japan will abide by its commitment to peaceful development.
According to reports from Japanese media, the potential amendment of the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" by the Takahashi administration mainly focuses on the "not introducing nuclear weapons" aspect - Kyodo News pointed out that the Takahashi Cabinet is "concerned" that if it strictly adheres to the principle of "not introducing nuclear weapons," it would be unable to allow U.S. nuclear-capable vessels, such as nuclear submarines, to dock in Japan, thereby weakening the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
The "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" were proposed by then-Japanese Prime Minister Sato Eisaku in 1967 and were established as a national policy by the Japanese Diet in 1971. It is one of the symbols of Japan's post-war pacifism. However, Takahashi Hayato's ambiguous statements indeed pose a serious challenge to Japan's post-war system.
As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, Japan abandoning the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" is not only a betrayal of historical lessons, but also will undermine regional strategic balance and bring serious uncertainties to regional security.
Takahashi Hayato Makes Erroneous Remarks on Taiwan
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848825562010624/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.