Posted on 04/06/2002 10:53:24 PM PST by IndianChief
TOKYO: A conservative Japanese political leader has warned Beijing that Japan can arm itself with nuclear weapons overnight if China goes ahead with an excessive military build-up, press reports said on Sunday.
The warning from opposition Liberal Party chief Ichiro Ozawa is likely to provoke sharp reaction from China and the rest of Asia, sensitive to any signs of Japan's military revival.
In a lecture in the provincial city of Fukuoka on Saturday, Ozawa said he had referred to the nuclear option during a recent meeting with an official from the intelligence division of the Chinese Community Party, the reports said.
"China is undergoing an expansion of its military power in a bid to join the ranks of the superpowers," said Ozawa, a renowned advocate of a strong armed forces. "It is trying to become a military power following in the steps of the United States."
Ozawa, 59, a former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said he had told the unidentified Chinese visitor: "If you get too inflated, Japanese people will get hysterical."
"It would be easy for us to produce nuclear warheads. We can produce thousands of nuclear warheads overnight. We may have enough plutonium at nuclear power plants for 3,000 or 4,000 rounds."
He added: "I told that person that if we rise to the occasion, we will never be beaten even in terms of military power."
Ozawa, however, emphasised that what he really wanted was a fully democratic China and a society in which "China and Japan can co-exist".
He said the introduction of democracy to China was essential to world peace.
"Any break down of order in China will be no match for that in Afghanistan or Yugoslavia. It will lead to significant global turmoil," he said.
However, Japanese newspapers expressed concern about the possible repercussions arising from Ozawa's remarks.
"His position, in which he has tried to hold China in check by bringing up the possibility of nuclear armament, is likely to cause ripples at home and abroad," the conservative daily Sankei Shimbun said.
The influential daily Asahi Shimbun said it anticipated a "backlash from the Chinese government and others".
With the way the world is heating up right now, we Christians need to be prepared. Start spreading the Good News, we are going to need it. God save us from ourselves.
More power to 'em cause Im sure there are many in the military ranks that would love to have some payback for Nanking.
Oh, by the way....If you really want to read about really horrible war stories than read a book on what the Japs did to the people in Nanking. Truly shocking stuff.
Oh, absolutely.... the Japanese could probably do it almost overnight. They certainly have the engineering know-how, and the recent suppression of the old warrior ethic is just that- a fine patina laid over a very hard core. The iron is still there....
And wouldn't it be sooooo interesting if, say, a couple dozen of those 'rounds' happened to disappear and show up a few days later in Taipei mounted on cruise missles.
Ah, the lessons we can learn from history (by those who bother with doing some reading.) How few under age 60 really have bothered to look at what the Japanese did during W W II.
Not only is China a threat to Japan but North Korea fired a missle "accidently" right over Japan in the recent past. Let the Japanese stare the North Koreans down with a nuke threat. As you said, "The iron is still there."
I wondered if anyone recalled that little incident- you can bet the Japanese haven't!
Besides, one should be careful with the words of a "conservative Japanese political leader." Wonder what they were saying before Pearl Harbor?
I have two words for you: Pearl Harbor
Do you really want the Japanese to have nuclear weapons?
Go tell it to the Marines.
It wasn't long ago that some big-wig in the Japanese government had a book published about how it was the destiny of Japan to control the world.
I forget the name of the thing. I just remember there was a big stink made because this guy was Prime Minister or something.
The Japanese have the world domination bug, just like the Hun. It'll take more than 50 or 60 years to get it out of their system.
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