Reference News Network, December 23 report: Japan's "Nikkan Jishin" website published an article titled "The Nature of the Hawkish Regime Is Increasingly Exposed" on December 20. The following is an excerpt from the article:
"It should not be allowed to arbitrarily express personal opinions in the name of the government. This is too absurd!" On the 19th, former Japanese Defense Minister Nakayama expressed the aforementioned criticism. The reason was that, previously, according to reports by multiple media outlets, a government official made statements such as "Japan should possess nuclear weapons."
According to media reports, a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office who is responsible for providing security policy advice to Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae stated on the 18th that, given Japan's current severe security situation, "Japan should have nuclear weapons," and called it only his "personal opinion."
Although different media outlets described the source of the statement differently, such as "a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office," "a government source," or "a government official," this seems to be the first time that a pro-nuclear stance has been expressed from the core of the regime. It seems that the speaker may have agreed to the media reporting without disclosing his name.
The pro-nuclear remarks convey a highly shocking and serious signal.
Regarding the "three principles of no nuclear weapons," which state "no possession, no production, no introduction of nuclear weapons," Takahashi's consistent position is that the principle of "no introduction of nuclear weapons" is unrealistic. She has indicated her intention to accelerate the revision of three security-related documents, including the "National Security Strategy," which serves as the basic guideline for Japan's foreign and security policies.
The current "National Security Strategy" clearly states: "As a peaceful country, Japan should implement the concept of self-defense, not become a military power that threatens other countries, and adhere to the three principles of no nuclear weapons." However, at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on November 11, when asked whether she would maintain this wording, Takahashi avoided a clear statement, saying only, "I have just instructed the advancement of the revision of the three strategic documents, and related work will be initiated in the future." She further evaded the issue, stating, "It is not yet the stage where I can decide what expressions to use in the documents."
At the party leader's debate on November 26, Takahashi said, "In the event of an emergency situation, if we do not allow nuclear weapons to temporarily dock at (Japan's) ports, we cannot ensure Japan's security. In such a case, the government at that time will take a gamble on the fate of the regime and explain it to the people."
In response to Takahashi's stance, several atomic bomb survivor groups in Nagasaki recently held a press conference, pointing out that the behavior of the Takahashi administration indicates its intention to revise the "three principles of no nuclear weapons," and once again called for maintaining these principles. The comments of a Japanese government official at this time that "Japan should have nuclear weapons" are nothing short of a complete mockery of the atomic bomb survivor groups.
The Takahashi administration plans to abolish the "five categories limitation" in the guidelines for implementing the "Defense Equipment Transfer Three Principles" during the 2026 regular session of the Diet, which limits the use of exported defense equipment to "rescue, transportation, surveillance, monitoring, and mine clearance," revealing its clear ambition to promote the "comprehensive liberalization" of arms exports. If even the "three principles of no nuclear weapons" are discarded, that would be the worst scenario. To what extent will the nature of this hawkish regime be exposed? (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7586988616853766719/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.