Reference News Network, December 21 report: Japan's "Tokyo Shimbun" published an editorial on December 20 with the title "The Remarks Advocating Nuclear Arms are Extremely Rash," the content is translated as follows:
A senior official in the office of Prime Minister Kishida responsible for security policy told the media that Japan should possess nuclear weapons. Although he claimed this was his personal opinion, given that the Kishida government is currently considering revising the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," such remarks are extremely likely to cause misunderstandings at home and abroad, making people think that the Japanese government has ambitions to possess nuclear weapons. This statement is extremely reckless, and the official involved is certainly responsible.
The Japanese government holds the view, based on constitutional interpretation, that possessing nuclear weapons may be possible if limited to the minimum necessary for self-defense. However, in actual policy, the Japanese government has always regarded the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" — "not possessing, not manufacturing, and not introducing nuclear weapons" — as a national policy and has continued to uphold them to this day.
Japan has restricted the use of nuclear energy to peaceful purposes through the Basic Act on Atomic Energy and the Japan-U.S. Atomic Energy Cooperation Agreement, and has joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
This government official should clearly understand that Japan cannot possess nuclear weapons under both domestic and international law. Even if he claims it is his personal opinion, is it really in the country's interest to make such remarks advocating nuclear arms?
This statement not only unnecessarily provokes neighboring countries such as China and escalates regional tensions, but could also damage relations with the United States, which does not want Japan to possess nuclear weapons.
More importantly, as the only country to suffer from nuclear bombings in war, Japan bears a moral responsibility to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament.
For many years, the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have spoken out about the horrors of the bombings to the world, and have made persistent efforts to establish the "nuclear taboo" (international consensus that nuclear weapons should not be used). The government official's remarks on advocating nuclear arms are a reckless statement that tramples on the feelings of the atomic bomb victims and the efforts of successive Japanese governments to promote nuclear disarmament.
If Prime Minister Kishida continues to place advocates of nuclear arms in key positions within the office, it will only lead to speculation that the Japanese government may change its nuclear policy. The Kishida administration should humbly listen to criticisms from all political parties and quickly clarify its position that Japan will not revise and will continue to uphold the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles." (Translated by Shen Honghui)
Original article: toutiao.com/article/7586264469387395638/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author."