Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani yesterday triggered a new row over controversial security legislation when he said bills under consideration by Japan’s parliament would not rule out the use of the Japanese military to transport nuclear weapons for foreign forces.
However, Nakatani was quick to add that such a development was, in reality, impossible because of Japan’s long-standing policy of not possessing or producing nuclear arms and not letting others bring them into the nation.
An opposition lawmaker immediately demanded that Nakatani apologize for the remarks, which came one day ahead of the 70th anniversary of the US atomic bombing in Hiroshima.
The remarks are expected to give Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — who has already seen his ratings slip due to public doubts over the security bills — a fresh headache after his special adviser drew fire by saying the legislation did not need to be “legally consistent” with the pacifist constitution.
The adviser later withdrew the comment and apologized.
“The letter of the legislation is not ruling out [the transportation of nuclear weapons], but we are not at all assuming something like that. It is impossible because of the ‘three non-nuclear principles,’” Nakatani told a panel in the upper chamber of parliament.
Abe’s Cabinet adopted a resolution last year reinterpreting the pacifist constitution, drafted by the US after World War II, to let Japan exercise collective self-defense, or defend an ally under attack.
The unpopular bills have already passed the lower house and Abe’s ruling bloc has a majority in the upper house as well.
However, surveys show a majority of voters are opposed to what would be a significant shift in Japan’s defense policy.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, whose election district is in Hiroshima Prefecture, joined Nakatani in denying the possibility of Japan’s armed forces carrying nuclear arms for friendly nations, even under the new legislation.
“Considering our country’s policy and stance toward nuclear [weapons] ... it is plainly inconceivable [for the Japanese military] to transport nuclear [weapons],” he said.
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