ASIATODAY.ID, BEIJING – China has issued a stern warning to Japan following reports that a senior political adviser suggested Tokyo should reconsider acquiring nuclear weapons, a move Beijing says could destabilize global security and revive the horrors of history.
The warning came after an unnamed senior adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reportedly argued that Japan’s long-standing reliance on the United States’ nuclear umbrella may no longer be fully reliable.
The adviser suggested that Tokyo should reassess its post–World War II non-nuclear stance and consider developing its own nuclear deterrent amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the remarks, describing them as further evidence of Japanese right-wing forces attempting to remilitarize and rearm the country.
“Japan must not challenge the postwar international order and must stop plunging further down the wrong path,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on December 22, 2025.
Beijing warned that some political forces in Japan have failed to reflect on the country’s wartime aggression and remain dissatisfied with the postwar security framework.
“If right-wing forces in Japan are allowed to develop powerful offensive weapons, or even possess nuclear weapons, it would once again bring disaster to the world,” the ministry added.
Regional Alarm Bells Ring
China’s warning echoes growing concerns among Japan’s neighbors. North Korea has described any move toward Japanese nuclear armament as “a great disaster,” while Russia cautioned that a departure from Japan’s non-nuclear policy would undermine security in Northeast Asia and provoke responses from countries that feel threatened by renewed militarization.
The reported remarks have also triggered backlash within Japan itself. The country, which remains the only nation to have suffered atomic bomb attacks, saw criticism emerge from both ruling and opposition parties, as well as from the atomic bomb survivors’ group Nihon Hidankyo, which condemned the idea as historically insensitive and politically reckless.
In response to the controversy, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to its non-nuclear principles, insisting there has been no change in government policy.
“Japan will continue to pursue efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons,” Kihara said.
The episode underscores how even speculative nuclear rhetoric can spark regional anxiety in East Asia, a region where historical memory, strategic rivalry, and nuclear deterrence remain deeply intertwined—and where any shift in Japan’s defense posture carries global implications. (RT)
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