Japanese leader warns China of nuclear option

The Times of India ^ | Sunday April 7 2002 | AFP

[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".

[IndianChief]

Thankfully , there is someone in Japan who is not afraid of using the N-word! Japan has no option but to go nuclear to prevent the Chinese from overrunning them.

[Timesink]

Good. The more nukes pointed at China the better. Especially ones that could get there as quickly as those that would be based in Japan.

[WellsFargo94]

Coming from Japan one knows that this is no idle threat.

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.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Wow, the Japs must be really scared if they throw the "nuclear" card around so freely.

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.

[Blackyce]

This is what I've always thought of as our trump card in the region. If all else fails with China diplomatically, we can encourage Japan to fully rearm itself. I dont care how fast China is growing, they just dont have the resources to compete with an agressive Japan.

[Jeff Chandler]

I'll bet they could do it, too.

[backhoe]

I'll bet they could do it, too.

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....

[uglybiker]

We can produce thousands of nuclear warheads overnight. We may have enough plutonium at nuclear power plants for 3,000 or 4,000 rounds."

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.

[toddst]

I'll bet they could do it, too. 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...

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."

[TLBSHOW]

good and we should get the heck out of China now, not wait til they hold us hostage again.

[backhoe]

Not only is China a threat to Japan but North Korea fired a missle "accidently" right over Japan in the recent past

I wondered if anyone recalled that little incident- you can bet the Japanese haven't!

[Mortimer Snavely]

Unfortunately, Ozawa speaks unambiguously and talks about the need for fundamental change in the Japanese political system so that it represents the electorate rather than the administrative-industrial relationships which define Japanese political life. He is despised by the Japanese press and bureaucracy precisely because of his intellect and personal integrity. These personal qualities are loathesome in Japan.

[Fishing-guy]

Why would the Japanese want to spend billion of dollars in building nuclear weapons, when the US is already paying the bill in defending them?

Besides, one should be careful with the words of a "conservative Japanese political leader." Wonder what they were saying before Pearl Harbor?

[Rule of Law]

Thankfully , there is someone in Japan who is not afraid of using the N-word!

I have two words for you: Pearl Harbor

Do you really want the Japanese to have nuclear weapons?

[Bogey78O]

Japanese culture is almost completely different than what it was pre-WW2. We have nothing to worrry about. All the imperialists died 50 years ago.

[Rule of Law]

Japanese culture is almost completely different than what it was pre-WW2. We have nothing to worrry about. All the imperialists died 50 years ago.

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.

[Mortimer Snavely]

Militarism is certainly declassé, but blind obedience to arbitrary authority, suppression of the individual identity to the group, and a complete lack of conscience is still considered fundamentally Japanese. That's one reason why Ozawa is reviled: he wants a country composed of citizens instead of subjugated corporate serfs. His understanding is that the military is a function of the nation state. This requires authority accountable to the electorate, but once responsibility enters the Japanese power system, the entire system disintegrates. That's the underlying reason the popular press holds him in contempt.

[Mortimer Snavely]

Which book are you talking about? Thousands of such books are printed every year about the specialness and superiority of the Japanese race.

[Rule of Law]

Which book are you talking about? Thousands of such books are printed every year about the specialness and superiority of the Japanese race.

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.