← Daily Brief
East China Sea
Nuclear
Japan's Nuclear Ambition is a Red Line that Should Never be Crossed: Defense Spokesperson
China Military Online (EN)
30 July 2026
View original source ↗
Summary
MND spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, at the July 30 press conference, condemned Japanese Defense Minister statements calling for debate on revising Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, characterizing them as 'extremely provocative and dangerous' and warning that Japan's roughly 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium gives it a recognized rapid nuclear breakout capability. The statement is standard MND press-conference messaging; its value is as a record of how Beijing publicly frames Japan's nuclear posture — specifically the plutonium stockpile figure and 'nuclear-threshold state' designation — as a legitimizing basis for Chinese pressure, not as evidence of a policy shift. What remains unknown is whether this framing presages any concrete Chinese diplomatic or military response beyond rhetorical condemnation.
Translation
BEIJING, July 30 -- "Japan's 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," said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a press conference on Thursday. 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. In response to the above reports, the spokesperson pointed out that these 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 to challenge the bottom line of international justice," said the spokesperson. "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," stressed the spokesperson. He then emphasized that 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," added the spokesperson.
Original text
BEIJING, July 30 -- "Japan's 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," said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a press conference on Thursday. 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. In response to the above reports, the spokesperson pointed out that these 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 to challenge the bottom line of international justice," said the spokesperson. "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," stressed the spokesperson. He then emphasized that 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," added the spokesperson.
