On the 81st anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a senior Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has underscored two critical global lessons that must never be forgotten. Speaking in Beijing on Thursday, spokesman Lin Jian made the position clear in a formal response to a media query surrounding the annual commemoration of the Hiroshima attack.
First, Lin emphasized that the widespread death and destruction inflicted by nuclear weapons must never be allowed to be repeated in any conflict around the world. Beyond the horror of the Hiroshima bombing, he added, the catastrophic legacy of Japanese militarism’s decades of aggression and expansion across Asia must remain a permanent warning to the international community, to prevent the world from repeating the mistakes of violent expansionism.
Lin also issued a clear call for Japanese authorities: Japan must openly acknowledge the security and international concerns surrounding its current nuclear policy and related actions, and strictly uphold its commitments to nuclear non-proliferation obligations as required by international law. The statement comes amid growing regional and global attention to Japan’s nuclear posture and historical memory of World War II aggression in East Asia.
The commemoration of the Hiroshima bombing, which killed more than 140,000 people when the United States dropped the first atomic weapon used in warfare, annually sparks global reflections on the dangers of nuclear proliferation and the importance of upholding historical truth about World War II. This year’s remarks from the 81st anniversary has drawn particular significance as international tensions around nuclear policy continue to rise in multiple regions.