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日本首相在广岛纪念仪式上的发言引发了关于“无核三原则”的讨论。首相表示,日本将继续坚持其三项长期非核武器原则,但并未明确承诺这些政策将保持不变,这引发了一些政府可能重新审查禁止外国核武器进入日本的禁令的猜测。
首相在纪念仪式后表示,政府将继续维护“无核三原则”,但在被问及是否会在修订的安全文件中保留这一原则时,她拒绝做出承诺。此前,前首相铃木善幸曾在1967年宣布了这些原则,并将其作为战后日本核政策的核心部分。
首相曾质疑过第三项原则——禁止外国核武器进入日本的禁令。在成为首相之前,她在2024年的书中提出,日本应保留不拥有或生产核武器的承诺,但完全禁止外来核武器进入是不现实的。她认为,禁止携带核武器的美国船只停靠港口会限制日本获得美国核保护伞的有效性。
日本创新党也呼吁重新审视第三项原则,并在向政府提交的安全政策建议中要求对禁止外国核武器进入进行“务实评估”。现有解释下,日本可以在极端国家紧急情况下灵活应对美国船只携带核武器的情况。党内一些人认为,在无实质利益的情况下,正式修改非核原则可能引发不必要的政治争议。
批评者还警告称,在没有得到华盛顿公开要求的情况下改变政策可能会给中国和朝鲜提供理由,认为日本在扩大其军事角色。如果允许暂时进入美国核武器或核武装备船只停靠港口,这将为华盛顿在美国东北亚的核力量增加操作选项,可能加强对抗朝鲜和中国的威慑力,但同时也可能加剧与韩国关于美国延伸威慑安排差异的辩论。
来年修订的安全文件中如何处理这些原则可能会决定该议题是否会在日本、韩国和美国之间引发更广泛的讨论。
At a Hiroshima memorial ceremony, Japan's prime minister said the country "maintains" its three long-standing non-nuclear principles, reports UPI.
But the prime minister "stopped short of promising that the policy would remain unchanged, fueling speculation that her government could review a longstanding ban on allowing nuclear weapons into the country."
[Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi made the remarks Thursday at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city... Unlike previous prime ministers who pledged that Japan would "continue to uphold" the principles, Takaichi described the government's current position without making an explicit commitment about the future [only saying that Japan has "a mission to continue efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapon..."] The wording has drawn attention because her government plans to revise Japan's three key national security documents by the end of the year. At a news conference after the ceremony, Takaichi again said the government "maintains the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a matter of policy." Asked whether the principles would continue to be included in the revised security documents, however, she declined to commit, saying she would refrain from prejudging the outcome.
Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles state that the country will not possess nuclear weapons, will not produce them and will not permit their introduction into Japanese territory. The principles originated with a 1967 statement by then-Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and have remained a central element of Japan's postwar nuclear policy. Takaichi has previously questioned the third principle — the prohibition on allowing nuclear weapons into Japan. Before becoming prime minister, she argued in a 2024 book that Japan should retain the commitments not to possess or produce nuclear weapons but that an absolute prohibition on their introduction was unrealistic.
Her argument was that barring port calls by U.S. vessels carrying nuclear weapons could limit the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting Japan... The Japan Innovation Party has also called for a review of the third principle. In security policy recommendations submitted to the government in June, the party called for a "realistic review" of the ban on allowing nuclear weapons into Japan... Under existing government interpretations, Japan could respond flexibly in an extreme national emergency involving a U.S. vessel carrying nuclear weapons. Some within the ruling party therefore question whether formally revising the non-nuclear principles would provide enough practical benefit to justify the political controversy it would create.
Critics also warn that changing the policy when Washington has not publicly demanded such a move could give China and North Korea additional grounds to portray Japan as expanding its military role... If Japan were to allow temporary entry by U.S. nuclear weapons or port calls by nuclear-armed vessels, Washington would gain additional operational options for its nuclear forces in Northeast Asia. Such a development could strengthen deterrence against North Korea and China but could also intensify debate over differences between U.S. extended deterrence arrangements with Japan and South Korea.
"How the principles are addressed in Japan's revised security documents later this year could determine whether the issue develops into a broader debate over the future of extended nuclear deterrence among Japan, South Korea and the United States..."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.