Japan seeks US dialogue with China, Russia to help avert nuclear arms race

In a joint statement shared Tuesday by the US and Japan, both governments said that Tokyo hosted Washington on June 8-9 for an “Extended Deterrence Dialogue.”

During the dialogue, the US “reaffirmed its commitment to the defense of Japan, using the full range of US defense capabilities, including nuclear.”

On the other hand, Japan “reaffirmed its support to US forces and operations that maintain peace, and this support contributes to deterrence by denial.”

The two sides discussed US efforts to modernize and adapt US nuclear forces, as well as Japan’s defense policy and capabilities, due to increasing regional nuclear threats.

Japan “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 delegations discussed China’s “dramatic and opaque” nuclear weapons buildup and rejected Russia’s notion that North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons was a closed issue.

The two sides also shared their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

Pyongyang has said its nuclear program is "non-negotiable" while stressing North Korea's nuclear status is "irreversible."

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has 620 nuclear warheads.

SIPRI also estimates that North Korea has possibly around 60 warheads, and possesses enough fissile material to produce at least 30 more.