China urges Japan to heed public opposition to nuclear weapons

The Japanese authorities should listen to public calls against nuclear weapons and stop undermining the country's three non-nuclear principles, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks after a recent survey by the Japan Association for Public Opinion Research showed that 76 percent of Japanese respondents supported upholding the principles of not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons into the country.

The survey also found that 77 percent opposed "nuclear sharing", an arrangement that would allow the United States to station nuclear weapons in Japan.

The results reflect the Japanese public's overwhelming and clear-cut opposition to nuclear weapons and its appreciation of the hard-won peace and prosperity the country enjoys, Lin said.

He criticized officials in Japan's governing authorities for openly advocating a "nuclear option" and attempting to breach the three non-nuclear principles.

Such moves expose the growing political and military ambitions of Japan's right-wing forces and amount to "gambling with the future of more than 100 million Japanese people", Lin said.

"The will of the people must not be defied," he said.

Lin urged the Japanese authorities to listen to the public, fulfill its obligation under international law of not accepting, producing, possessing or proliferating nuclear weapons, and stop playing with fire on the issue of nuclear weapons.

Japan should not repeat the wrong path of miscalculating historical trend and acting against the people's will for peace.