According to Japanese media reports quoted by the Observer Network, a number of relevant sources in the Japan government recently revealed that the United States and Japan are drafting a joint document on "extended deterrence" including nuclear deterrence, which includes United States commitment to use military force, including nuclear weapons, to provide security guarantees for Japan. The details of the specific documents will not be disclosed by the US and Japanese officials, but the Japanese side prefers to make the documents public.
In fact, in recent years, Japan has been seeking United States nuclear protection commitments. As early as the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe publicly stated that the United States and Japan should establish a "nuclear sharing" mechanism similar to the NATO model. Japan right-wing wing knows that in order to break through the constraints of the "pacifist constitution", it is necessary to constantly create chaos in the Asia-Pacific region, and there is a clear power gap between China and Japan, and in order to increase its provocative emboldening, Japan need to obtain United States stronger security commitments. Therefore, the United States and Japan are discussing "nuclear sharing" against China.
At present, there are two main paths for the United States and Japan to achieve this goal. One is deployment in Japan, such as land deployment in the Southwest Islands, or United States providing Japan with submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons for underwater deployment. Japan has always expressed its desire to have nuclear submarines, and it is worth noting that Japan has joined the "Aukus", although the current field of cooperation is limited to the second pillar and does not involve the transfer of nuclear submarine technology to the first pillar, but it is only a matter of time before this taboo is broken in the future. The other is controlled by United States, such as promising that US nuclear submarines will be deployed to China in accordance with Japan's security needs.
Shinzo Abe
In the face of collusion between the United States and Japan, China took the initiative this time. According to the Observer, on July 22, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the "China's Working Paper on Non-Nuclear Security Issues", which clearly stated that at the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its preparatory meetings, China will ask relevant countries to sign an agreement, abolish the "nuclear sharing" and "extended deterrence" arrangements, and withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad. And before that can be achieved, the States concerned need to be transparent about these arrangements and clarify whether they are violating their obligations under articles I and II of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
China's foothold is global security, and among the nuclear-armed states, the United States and Russia are the main ones deploying nuclear weapons abroad. Russia has deployed a certain number of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, the main purpose of which is to deter NATO. If the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ends, or if United States can be able to withdraw its nuclear weapons deployed abroad, Russia may not be willing to sign the document proposed by China.
Strategic deterrence
United States relies on the NATO system to deploy nuclear weapons in many European countries such as Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands. In addition, in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States is studying "nuclear sharing" with Japan and South Korea. It can be seen that the United States is a veritable inferior student in the field of nuclear security. The document put forward by the Chinese side is a conspiracy. If United States agrees, it will withdraw its nuclear weapons deployed abroad and withdraw its commitment to nuclear sharing, United States attempts to rely on the alliance system to contain China and Russia will be completely bankrupt, and the security and trust relationship between United States and its allies will also face a crisis.
If United States does not agree, it is undermining global strategic security, and more importantly, China does not deploy nuclear weapons abroad, nor does it provide nuclear protection commitments to other countries, mainly because it does not want to set off a Cold War-style nuclear confrontation, for the sake of global security, but it does not mean that China does not have such capabilities. United States needs to consider the strategic situation it might face if it rejects China's proposal. China's future military interactions with Cuba or other United States neighbors will inevitably make United States tremble.
Biden
Therefore, this document of the Chinese side not only took the initiative to raise the banner of nuclear safety, occupied the high ground of public opinion, but also put the United States in a dilemma. United States did not explicitly reject China's proposal, but only said that it would study it, indicating that United States is now hesitant. However, it is not enough to only carry out diplomatic offensives, and in the face of the collusion between the United States and Japan to undermine peace in the Asia-Pacific region, we must also strengthen military deterrence and make it clear to Japan that United States is not his "protective umbrella", but his "life talisman".