Japan Urges US to Open Nuclear Talks with China, Russia

(MENAFN) Japan has formally called on the United States to pursue multilateral dialogue with China and Russia as a safeguard against a spiralling nuclear arms race, according to a joint statement released Tuesday following high-level security talks between the two allies.

The statement confirmed that Tokyo hosted Washington on June 8-9 for an "Extended Deterrence Dialogue" — a structured forum through which the two nations coordinate on nuclear and conventional defence posture.

Mutual Commitments Reaffirmed
In the course of the talks, the US "reaffirmed its commitment to the defense of Japan, using the full range of US defense capabilities, including nuclear." Japan, in turn, "reaffirmed its support to US forces and operations that maintain peace, and this support contributes to deterrence by denial."

Both delegations examined Washington's ongoing efforts to modernise and adapt its nuclear arsenal, alongside Japan's evolving defence policies and capabilities — deliberations driven by what both sides characterised as a rapidly deteriorating regional nuclear threat landscape.

Tokyo's Multilateral Push
The most significant takeaway from the dialogue was Japan's explicit push for broader engagement. Tokyo "strongly encouraged the US pursuit of multilateral strategic stability talks to help avert a nuclear arms race, address concerns about nuclear testing, reduce nuclear risks, and bolster transparency, including through arms control dialogues with China and Russia."

Both sides took aim at China's nuclear trajectory, expressing shared alarm over Beijing's "dramatic and opaque" weapons buildup. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China currently possesses 620 nuclear warheads — a stockpile that has grown rapidly in recent years.

The two delegations also pushed back against Russia's framing of North Korea's nuclear ambitions as a settled matter, rejecting Moscow's position that Pyongyang's weapons program was a closed issue. Both governments reaffirmed their shared commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea — a goal Pyongyang has repeatedly dismissed, insisting its nuclear program is "non-negotiable" and its nuclear status "irreversible."

SIPRI estimates North Korea holds approximately 60 nuclear warheads, with enough fissile material stockpiled to produce at least 30 more.

MENAFN10062026000045017169ID1111238733