China releases document firmly opposing Japan's possession of nuclear weapons, reiterating post-war international order and the principle of nuclear non-proliferation.

Japan Wants Nuclear Weapons? China's Document Sets the Tone

On the issue of opposing Japan's acquisition of nuclear weapons, China has begun taking concrete actions.

On the 30th, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released the "Working Document of China on Japan's Nuclear Weaponization Issue."

Looking at its content, this document holds significance on three levels:

First, the document consolidates a series of dangerous statements made by Japanese officials in recent years regarding nuclear armament into a systematic accusation. By reviewing Japan's secret nuclear research history during World War II, its current possession of reprocessing technology and stockpiling of approximately 44.4 tons of separated plutonium, as well as the right-wing forces' push to revise Japan's "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," the document establishes factual foundations and defines the nature of these actions. This prevents Japan from evading international scrutiny under the pretext of "personal opinions" or "freedom of discussion."

Second, the document cites international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Instrument of Surrender, emphasizing that as a defeated nation, Japan "must completely disarm" and must not maintain industries capable of rearming. At the same time, it reiterates that as a state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Japan must strictly fulfill its obligations of "not accepting, not manufacturing, not possessing, and not proliferating" nuclear weapons.

This effectively characterizes Japan's ambitions toward nuclear armament as acts undermining the post-war international order and violating the core obligations of the NPT, thereby effectively closing off any potential legal and public relations justifications for Japan, and providing the international community with China’s version of “legal basis” for subsequent actions.

Finally, China has chosen to submit this document to the Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, reinforcing the treaty’s authority and opposing any actions that undermine the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The document calls on the international community to strengthen oversight over so-called "nuclear threshold states" like Japan, to safeguard global strategic stability.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863895257798656/

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