Kishida Government's Nuclear Policy: Dilemma of Nuclear Disarmament・Non-Proliferation Policy and Strengthening Nuclear Deterrence

In order to realize a nuclear-free world, the Kishida government plans to lead discussions on disarmament and non-proliferation in the international community, while further strengthening the existing extended deterrence by the United States in response to the rapid increase in nuclear power in East Asia. This is based on the perception that in the long run, we will actively strive to realize a nuclear-free world through disarmament and non-proliferation, but in reality, we have no choice but to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella in a situation where nuclear weapons exist. However, the Kishida government is facing a dilemma of simultaneously realizing a nuclear-free world and a nuclear deterrent as it fails to provide a detailed roadmap for nuclear disarmament and faces domestic criticism that the extended deterrence policy does not reflect a serious security reality. Considering that China and North Korea's nuclear forces continue to increase in the future, the nuclear dilemma facing Japan is expected to become even more serious. If discussions on the establishment of a nuclear deterrence strategy in the post-Kishida government begin in earnest, the main issues will be the revision of the principle of the prohibition of nuclear importation among the three non-nuclear principles, the activation of extended deterrence consultations with the United States, and the search for a Japanese version of nuclear sharing.