People release paper lanterns on the Motoyasu River in remembrance of atomic bomb victims, marking the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing, in Hiroshima, western Japan, August 6, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing by the United States with a memorial ceremony on Thursday, amid mounting domestic opposition to recent pro-nuclear remarks by senior Japanese officials.
Experts said Japan's increasingly open discussion of once-taboo nuclear issues appears aimed at gauging public opinion and paving the way for reconsidering postwar security principles, including the country's long-standing Three Non-Nuclear Principles. They urged Tokyo to uphold the principles and abandon cooperation with other countries under the so-called nuclear "extended deterrence".
Meanwhile, China on Thursday slammed Japanese right-wing forces for politically exploiting the nation's identity as a nuclear bombing victim for sympathy and seeking possession of nuclear weapons, while urging Tokyo to earnestly fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations under international law.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in an online statement that the Japanese authorities recently have been beefing up military buildup, seeking enhanced nuclear protection from the US, and attempting to break free from the three non-nuclear principles.
