The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reportedly released a video circulating online threatening to launch a “continuous” nuclear war on Japan.
QUICK FACTS:
- In the five-minute video, China apparently vows to attack Japan with nuclear bombs if Japan attempts to intervene in China’s conflict with Taiwan.
- China’s declaration of “full-scale war” against Japan if the Taiwan disagreement escalates is “stoking World War Three fears,” according to The U.S. Sun.
- China said Japan will be the “exception” to China’s stated policy to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear powers.
- “We will use nuclear bombs first. We will use nuclear bombs continuously. We will do this until Japan declares unconditional surrender for the second time,” China stated in the video.
- “There will be no peace talks,” says China at the end of the video.
- A local Chinese government committee—Baoji Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China—posted the video, according to Business Insider.
- The video is live on the YouTube-like platform Xigua, according to Newsweek.
WHAT ELSE CHINA SAID IN THE VIDEO:
- “When we liberate Taiwan, if Japan dares to intervene by force—even if it only deploys one soldier, one plane or one ship—we will not only return fire but also wage full-scale war against Japan itself.”
- “In 1964, when our first atomic bomb was successfully detonated, we promised the world that we would not use atomic bombs against non-nuclear countries and that we would not be the first to use them. Nearly 60 years have passed. Although the strength of our nuclear deterrent has been somewhat affected this decision has been a success, and has safeguarded our peace when we built our country.”
- China said the international “situation” has changed and “our country is in the midst of a major change that has not been seen in a century and all political policies, tactics, and strategies must be adjusted and changed in the midst of such a major change.”
- “In order to protect the peaceful rise of our country, it is necessary to make limited adjustments to our nuclear policy. We solemnly put forward the ‘Japan exception theory.’ In modern history, Japan has taken the initiative to harm the Chinese people many times, including the first Sino-Japanese war in 1894-1895, when it took over Taiwan and made us pay more than 230 million taels of silver in reparations. And the world invasion of China of 1931-1945, when more than 35 million Chinese were killed and wounded.”
- China contends that “if Japan goes to war with China for the third time, the Chinese people will take revenge on the old and the new scores.”
BACKGROUND:
- The CCP released the video at the same time as the Tokyo Olympics are set to commence.
- Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso has affirmed, “We must defend Taiwan, under our alliance with the U.S.,” according to the Sun.
- The PLA released a military recruitment video last year showing an H-6K bomber simulating a strike on the US territory of Guam, according to Sky News.
- Professor Stephan Fruhling of the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre believes the sentiments expressed in the clip are unlikely to be echoed by Beijing’s more powerful political cadres, according to News.com.au. However, Fruhling also warns, “The possibility that (Beijing) would use nuclear weapons against Japan or the US if they thought it would make the difference between victory and defeat in a war over Taiwan is, in my view, very real.”
- One commenter online said, “This video is what many people of our country think,” according to Insider.
- “Good! I fully support this! The day of revenge is coming!” said another, while one more wrote that Japan’s nuclear reactors would “take care of business” if China fires missiles at them.
