The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said on Monday that it was "extremely concerned" with Japan's possession of weapons-grade nuclear material. Japan is yet to return to the US 331 kilograms of material, most of which is plutonium. The country possesses much more enriched uranium than demand necessitates and it will also put new uranium plants into operation despite most of its nuclear power stations having been shut down. All this violates the principle stipulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency which requires countries to keep a balance between the demand and supply of nuclear materials.

It is inappropriate for Japan, a member of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and a nation abiding by the three non-nuclear principles which states it will not produce, possess or allow entry of nuclear weapons into its territory, to resist giving back the plutonium and start running uranium plants. China should not only express its deep concern but also work with the international community to pressure Tokyo to clarify its position.

Support for nuclear weapons development by some forces, a right-wing resurgence in Japan's politics and the protracted problem of oversupply of nuclear material may intertwine with each other, posing a severe threat to the globe. This is decided by Japan's political development in Japan as well as the stance taken by the rest of the world.

Since Japan was twice devastated by atomic bombs, most Japanese people take an anti-nuclear stance. However, the nation is suffering from a debilitating ability to steer in the right direction, giving rise to certain perilous ambitions. As the role of its pacifist constitution is on the wane, it is dubious to expect Tokyo to embrace the lessons of WWII and observe its non-nuclear principles.

The international community is supposed to beef up constraints over Japan in the nuclear issue, which constitutes an imperative for it to stay sober-minded in the political realm. Great powers, including China, the US and Russia should join hands in sticking to nuclear non-proliferation and objecting to Japan's departure from its due obligation. History demonstrates that the most restless member in the Asia-Pacific region has been accumulating strength to seek an opportunity to change its destiny.

Most conundrums in East Asia today can be viewed as a legacy of the last round of military expansion imposed by Tokyo. And the present Japan is configuring a geopolitical vista of the 21st century with a return to normalcy.

With the ability to prevent Japan from breaking free of its pacifist constitution and put more pressure on its nuclear development, Washington can serve as a linchpin. But the key element lies in whether the US has a steadfast resolution to disrupt its ally's schedule of creeping away from the postwar international order by taking advantage of Sino-US strategic distrust. Beijing should first be committed to nuclear nonproliferation in Northeast Asia, including asking Pyongyang to abandon nuclear programs. We expect Tokyo to offer an articulate response about its oversupply of nuclear material.