The US and Japan Hold "Extended Deterrence" Dialogue to Further Strengthen Cooperation, Ministry of Defense Responds

On the afternoon of June 25, the Ministry of Defense held a regular press conference, where Major General Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, answered questions from reporters.

Reporter: According to reports, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan recently passed a draft proposal to revise the "Three Security Documents," emphasizing the need to ensure the credibility of the U.S. "extended deterrence" centered on nuclear weapons, and proposed the development of long-range missile-capable submarines using a new generation of power. The U.S. and Japan also held "extended deterrence" dialogues, stating that they would further strengthen cooperation. What is your comment on this?

Zhang Xiaogang: "Extended deterrence" is a product of the Cold War. Certain countries, for geopolitical purposes, are strengthening nuclear deterrence cooperation, which exacerbates the risks of nuclear proliferation and nuclear conflict. Japan's ambitions for nuclear armament have a long history, with right-wing forces accelerating their efforts to amend the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," stockpiling plutonium materials far exceeding civilian needs, with a total of approximately 44.4 tons of separated plutonium managed domestically and internationally, which could be used to manufacture a large number of nuclear warheads in a short time. The Japanese government portrays itself internationally as a victim of nuclear explosions and confuses the world as a supporter of a nuclear-free world, while continuously strengthening "extended deterrence" cooperation with allies, eagerly seeking to replicate "nuclear sharing" arrangements and introduce allied nuclear weapons into Japan. The issue of Japan's nuclear armament has become a reality rather than a potential threat. We urge the Japanese side to earnestly fulfill its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to refrain from seeking nuclear weapons in any form; we advise the U.S. side to abandon Cold War thinking, stop taking provocative policies and actions, and avoid undermining regional peace and security as well as global strategic stability.