Recently, Japan has planned to press on with the reexamination of the “three principles of denuclearization” it has maintained since the 1960s.

As the only victim of A-bomb in the world, Japan asserted that it “hates nuclear weapons” in the past and on this pretext adopted as its policy the “three principles of denuclearization” that prohibit it from bringing in, manufacturing and possessing nuclear weapons.

But it has so far acted quite contrary to the principles.

Already in the mid-1950s Japan supported the US’ “Marshall plan on atomic power” concerning the transfer of atomic power reactor. In 1955 it concluded an agreement on nuclear power with the US, drew up a nuclear weapons programme and invested large sci-tech forces and funds in developing nuclear weapons. It also researched and developed technologies and facilities related to manufacturing nuclear weapons systematically and stockpiled plutonium continuously.

In 1969 it launched its first nuclear-powered transport ship Mutsu of 8 300 tons and acquired the technology for building nuclear-powered warships at the cost of causing leaks of radioactivity several times. In 1997 the defense institute of Japan proposed building a nuclear submarine independently in its internal research document “Long-term prediction of security environment and attitude towards defending Japan”. In 2001 the defense capacity posture examination committee, the advisory organ of the head of the then Defense Agency, also discussed in strict secrecy the possibility of Japan’s independent possession of nuclear submarines.

When an accident occurred at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, media outlets and experts commented that the delay in rescue operation, the discovery of an underground tunnel in the place of accident and others tell that Japan might have set up a nuclear weapon institute there, pressed ahead with a nuclear weapon plan covertly and already manufactured nuclear weapons in secret.

Once a Japanese conservative media outlet presented the British style as a reference with regard to the possible option Japan may take to possess nuclear weapons. It said that the UK has four nuclear submarines loaded with “Trident” missiles and for Japan whose territory is narrow it is absolutely right to have nuclear submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles like those of the UK. Given the material and technical foundations it has laid for nuclear armament, Japan may possibly harbour such an ambition.

It is also a clear example of Japan’s ever more undisguised nuclear armament that it put one foot in AUKUS, a nuclear submarine alliance.

Now Japan has built the full capacity to manufacture, possess and use nuclear weapons. Japanese high-ranking politicians had already admitted openly that their country was able to make thousands of nuclear weapons if it wanted and had the technical capability to do so.

Japan forges ahead with nuclear armament in a desperate bid to embark on the road of overseas reinvasion with nuclear weapons.

In the past Japan was bent on aggression and war to dominate Asia without nuclear weapons. It is self-evident that if it possesses nuclear weapons, it will commit more wretched crimes again.

Japan’s nuclear armament is the matter that should not be looked on with folded arms.