On June 30, 2024, an interview with Professor Nobumasa Akiyama from the Graduate School of Law was published in the Asahi Shimbun article titled “China’s Unstoppable Nuclear Expansion: Can Japan Uphold Its Three Non-Nuclear Principles?” The article addresses how Japan should respond to the increase in China’s nuclear warheads, which rose from 410 last year to 500, as reported in the annual report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on the 17th. Professor Akiyama pointed out that the United States equipping its intermediate-range missiles with nuclear warheads to bridge the asymmetry in military power between the US and China is a matter of survival for Japan and requires careful consideration. He noted that while arms control between the US and China poses significant challenges, Japan’s security concerns must be reflected in any arms control measures taken by the US and China. Additionally, although there are calls to reconsider Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles and to participate as an observer in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons meetings, he stated that revisiting these principles or participating at this time is not appropriate. He emphasized that Japan must recognize the reality that US-China nuclear arms control directly impacts its national security and seriously consider these issues from the perspective of crisis management and threat reduction.