TOKYO, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday again called for discussions on reviewing the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles and expressed support for considering the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, Kyodo News reported.
Speaking at a seminar in Tokyo, Koizumi said an environment should be created in which necessary security policies can be discussed openly and frankly without prejudice. He added that, as Japan revises its three key security documents, society as a whole should develop a shared understanding of nuclear threats, according to the report.
Koizumi also voiced support for discussions on introducing nuclear-powered submarines, saying he hoped broad discussions would be held on how to proceed with the issue, the report said.
Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles stipulate that the country will not possess, produce or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons. The current National Security Strategy, one of the country's three key security documents, explicitly states that Japan's basic policy of adhering to the principles will remain unchanged.
The latest remarks come amid a series of moves by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government concerning Japan's nuclear policy. Koizumi has repeatedly said publicly that discussions on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines should be held without taboos.
Takaichi also told parliament in October that her government would "deepen concrete and realistic considerations" regarding the potential introduction of nuclear-powered submarines for the Self-Defense Forces.
Japanese media have further reported that the Takaichi government may revise the wording concerning the Three Non-Nuclear Principles when it updates the three key security documents by the end of this year.
These developments have fueled concerns in Japanese society that the government is seeking to shift the country's longstanding nuclear policy. ■