M. Abe, what is "realism" when we talk about nuclear weapons?

 January 26, 2018

Abe urges realism on nuclear disarmament

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180126_18/

Japan's Prime Minister says he wants to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons from a realistic standpoint, at a time when the imminence of the North Korean threat makes the US nuclear umbrella an absolute imperative.

Shinzo Abe's comments on Friday before the Upper House were in response to the leader of the ruling coalition partner, Komeito.

Natsuo Yamaguchi referred to the fact that Japan has not signed the legally-binding UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He called the treaty a "landmark effort" to create an international standard.

Yamaguchi said Japan should play a leading role, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, in bridging the gap between nuclear powers and other nations.

Abe responded that North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs constitute a grave and imminent threat to Japan's peace and security. He said maintaining deterrence with both conventional and nuclear weapons under the Japan-US Alliance is essential to counter such a threat.

Abe added that Japan needs to maintain a realistic stance by dealing appropriately with real security threats, while at the same time leading efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.

The prime minister criticized North Korea for pushing ahead with its nuclear and missile programs, but he also welcomed the recent resumption of inter-Korean talks.

He said the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics next month will be an opportunity for him to urge South Korean President Moon Jae-in to keep applying maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

Abe added he wants to reaffirm the close cooperation between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington over the North Korean issue.