China urged Japan on Monday to stop provocative moves on nuclear weapons, while calling on the international community to stay highly vigilant to and oppose Japan’s dangerous tendency on the issue.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks when commenting on claims from a senior Japanese official that Japan should possess nuclear weapons, as well as claims from Japan’s defense minister that Japan should discuss all options without excluding any when reviewing its Three Non-Nuclear Principles.
China is shocked by the statements, which constitute blatant provocation of the postwar international order as well as the nuclear nonproliferation system, Lin said at a news conference on Monday.
As a non-nuclear weapon party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Japan must fully abide by the provisions of “not receiving, manufacturing, acquiring or transferring nuclear weapons”, he said.
These are nonnegotiable obligations under international law that Japan must fulfill, and they should not be used as bargaining chips for political gains, he added.
The remarks made by the Japanese side also severely threaten regional and international peace and stability, and run counter to Japan’s commitment to “peaceful development”, Lin said, stressing that the suggestion that the remarks were based on “personal views” is not convincing.
Lin noted that the remarks revealed the apparent ambitions of Japan’s right-wing forces to pursue “remilitarization”, adding that if those forces are allowed to push ahead with the development of powerful offensive weapons, or even the acquisition of nuclear weapons, they would once again bring grave harm to the international community.
He urged Tokyo to abide by international law and its own Constitution, refrain from attempting to challenge the postwar international order, and stop plunging further down the wrong path.
Also at Monday’s news conference, Lin said that China had protested to Japan regarding the visit by a high-ranking official of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party to China’s Taiwan region.
China firmly opposes the visit, which violates the one-China principle, the four political documents between China and Japan and Japan’s own commitments made to China.
He again urged the Japanese side to reflect on and correct its wrongdoings, retract Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks, and not to interfere in China’s internal affairs.
The Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan will not succeed in seeking “Taiwan independence” by ingratiating themselves with Japan, he said, adding that their disgraceful acts will only lead to a dead end.
