China-Japan Crisis: US Shows Support as Tokyo Reiterates Non-Nuclear Pledge
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles against possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. The statement followed media reports of an anonymous senior Japanese official suggesting that the country should acquire them. Predictably, Beijing officials leapt on this reporting to further its narrative of Japan as a warmongering nation. Meanwhile, Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae appeared to soften her Taiwan comments without retracting them, saying instead that she would “reflect” on how she approached future debates in the Japanese Diet. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed support for Takaichi, nearly six weeks after her initial comments set off a dramatic overreaction from Beijing. Is the Overton Window shifting in Japan? And do Takaichi’s recent comments signal a retreat? In this episode, we discuss the Japan’s nuclear policy, the ongoing China-Japan row, and the US-Japan security relationship. *Recorded on December 23, 2025 at 2pm Taiwan Standard Time Host: Wen-Ti Sung Producer: Chinyeh Chiang Our guests: Kuo Yu-jen - National Sun Yat-sen University Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies Professor and Director Chen Ping-kuei - National Chengchi University Department of Diplomacy Professor
