East China Sea Nuclear

【Bilingual】Japan's Nuclear Ambitions Must Not Be Indulged; Challenges to the Red Line Cannot Be Tolerated

【双语】日本拥核野心不可纵挑战红线不能容

PLA Daily (解放军报) 30 July 2026

Summary

At the July 30 MND press conference, spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin responded to Japanese Defense Minister statements advocating open discussion of revising Japan's 三非核原則 (three non-nuclear principles) by calling the remarks 'extremely provocative and dangerous' and citing Japan's stockpile of approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium as evidence of latent nuclear breakout capability. The response invokes NPT obligations, the post-war international order, and calls on both the international community and domestic Japanese actors to 坚决遏阻 ('resolutely contain') any move toward nuclear armament. The framing — treating Japanese ministerial statements as a deliberate probe of international tolerance rather than domestic political commentary — fits Beijing's established pattern of using MND press conferences to set public red lines on Japanese security policy, though what specific policy response, if any, China is prepared to take remains unstated.

Translation

Japan's Nuclear Ambition is a Red Line That Should Never be Crossed

On the afternoon of July 30, the Ministry of National Defense held a routine press conference, at which Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered questions from reporters.

Reporter: According to reports, Japan's Defense Minister has repeatedly stated in recent days that Japan should discuss nuclear-weapon-related policies without taboo, including whether to revise the "three non-nuclear principles" (無核三原則) that Japan has long adhered to since the end of World War II. What is your comment on this?

Question: According to recent reports, the Japanese Defense Minister said several times that Japan should discuss nuclear-weapon-related policies without taboos, including whether to revise the three non-nuclear principles that Japan has long been adhering to since the end of the World War II. What's your comment?

Jiang Bin: The remarks by Japan's Defense Minister are extremely provocative and dangerous. They once again pierce through Japan's disguise and the lies it has used to deceive the international community. Could it be that Japan intends to use these remarks to test the winds of public opinion, lay the groundwork for improper schemes, and challenge the bottom line of justice in the international community? What warrants the highest vigilance is that Japan is an internationally recognized nuclear-threshold state, has stockpiled approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium, and has long deliberately maintained the capability to seek a nuclear breakout in the short term. Japan's pursuit of breaching the "three non-nuclear principles" seriously violates its international legal obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, seriously undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and seriously threatens the fruits of victory of World War II and the post-war international order. Japan's nuclear ambitions must not be indulged, and challenges to the red line cannot be tolerated. Otherwise, once the "Pandora's box" is opened, the consequences would be unimaginable. The international community and all sectors within Japan must remain highly vigilant and resolutely contain (坚决遏阻) this.

Jiang Bin: The recent remarks by the Japanese defense minister are extremely provocative and dangerous. They once again expose Japan's pretence and lies to the international community. I wonder whether the Japanese side is using these remarks to test the tolerance of public opinion and pave the way for its ill attempts challenging the bottom line of international justice. An alerting fact is that Japan is internationally recognized as a nuclear-threshold state. It has stockpiled approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium and long maintained the capability for a rapid nuclear breakout. Its attempt to breach the three non-nuclear principles seriously violates its obligations under international law as stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), severely undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and poses a grave threat to the outcomes of the victory of World War II and the post-war international order. Japan's nuclear ambition is a red line that should never be crossed. Otherwise, if the Pandora's box is opened, the consequences would be catastrophic. The international community and people in Japan should remain highly alert and resolutely contain such a tendency.

Original Chinese

Japan's Nuclear Ambition is a Red Line That Should Never be Crossed 7月30日下午，国防部举行例行记者会，国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校答记者问。记者：据报道，日本防卫大臣连日来多次称，日本应毫无禁忌地讨论与核武器相关的政策，包括是否修订二战后长期奉行的“无核三原则”。请问对此有何评论？ Question:According to recent reports, the Japanese Defense Minister said several times that Japan should discuss nuclear-weapon-related policies without taboos, including whether to revise the three non-nuclear principles that Japan has long been adhering to since the end of the World War II. What's your comment? 蒋斌：日本防卫大臣有关言论极具挑衅性和危险性，再次戳破了日方的伪装和欺骗国际社会的谎言，难道是想借此试探舆论风向，为不轨图谋作铺垫，挑战国际社会正义底线吗？值得高度警惕的是，日本是国际公认的核门槛国家，囤积约44.4吨分离钚，长期蓄意保持在短期内寻求核突破的能力。日本谋求突破“无核三原则”，严重违背《不扩散核武器条约》规定的国际法义务，严重冲击国际核不扩散体系，严重威胁二战胜利成果和战后国际秩序。日本拥核野心不可纵，挑战红线不能容，否则“潘多拉魔盒”一旦打开，后果不堪设想，国际社会及日本国内各界人士必须对此高度警惕、坚决遏阻。 Jiang Bin:The recent remarks by the Japanese defense minister are extremely provocative and dangerous. They once again expose Japan's pretence and lies to the international community. I wonder whether the Japanese side is using these remarks to test the tolerance of public opinion and pave the way for its ill attempts challenging the bottom line of international justice. An alerting fact is that Japan is internationally recognized as a nuclear-threshold state. It has stockpiled approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium and long maintained the capability for a rapid nuclear breakout. Its attempt to breach the three non-nuclear principles seriously violates its obligations under international law as stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), severely undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and poses a grave threat to the outcomes of the victory of World War II and the post-war international order. Japan's nuclear ambition is a red line that should never be crossed. Otherwise, if the Pandora's box is opened, the consequences would be catastrophic. The international community and people in Japan should remain highly alert and resolutely contain such a tendency.