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Hiroshima mayor refuses to recognize foreign minister’s positive view of U.S. Nuclear Posture Review

In response to the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which was issued in February and seeks to expand the role of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono stated that the Japanese government greatly appreciates the new NPR. On March 15, during a special budgetary meeting of the city assembly, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui explained the city’s intention not to formally file a protest with the government, saying, “If the City of Hiroshima lodges a protest against Mr. Kono’s remarks, it would be tantamount to acknowledging that this is the stance taken by the Japanese government. I would rather not even recognize these remarks.”

Mr. Matsui also pointed out that the Japanese government has already indicated that it believes that nuclear weapons should be abolished, and therefore he hopes that the government will maintain this position no matter what occurs within the administration.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue also commented after last month’s announcement of the new NPR, saying that he will urge the Japanese government, which represents the only nation to have been suffered nuclear attack, not to blindly follow U.S. policy.

(Originally published on March 16, 2018)

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