Japan, U.S. at odds over nuclear disarmament policy

A clear policy difference emerged between Japan and the United States when they had bilateral consultations before a U.N. panel adopted a resolution this month calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, according to diplomatic sources.

The United States had opposed including some sentences referring to the importance of Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and agreements reached at the review conferences on the NPT in 1995, 2000 and 2010 in the Japanese-sponsored U.N. resolution, the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity recently told Kyodo News.

The article, which was not mentioned in the previous year's similar U.N. resolution, calls on nuclear-armed states to pursue nuclear disarmament.

The resolution, titled "United action with renewed determination toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons," was adopted by the First Committee on disarmament issues at the U.N. General Assembly on Nov 1.

But Japan's key ally the United States abstained, calling it a "step back" from last year's document which it supported.

The U.S. diplomats' oppositions reflected the administration of President Donald Trump's reluctance to embrace the obligation of nuclear disarmament under the NPT.

The Trump administration also announced last month a decision to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, which helped end the Cold War.

"As a victim nation of nuclear bombs, Japan should keep a clear distance from the U.S. nuclear arming policy."

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