TOKYO - Japan faces growing uncertainty over North Korea's expanding nuclear arsenal after Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his first visit to Pyongyang in seven years without mentioning denuclearization, raising concerns that the long-standing international goal of eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons may be steadily losing support among the region's major powers.
Xi was personally welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the high-profile visit, which featured elaborate ceremonies designed to showcase the close relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang. Yet for Japan, the most significant aspect of the visit may have been what was left unsaid. Despite growing international concern over North Korea's nuclear program, Xi made no public reference to denuclearization.
The omission comes as North Korea continues to expand its nuclear capabilities. Earlier this month, state media released photographs showing Kim inspecting what appeared to be a uranium enrichment facility used in the production of nuclear weapons material. According to a report released this week by a Stockholm-based research institute, North Korea is now estimated to possess about 60 nuclear warheads.
For decades, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula formed the foundation of regional diplomacy. Japan participated in the Six-Party Talks alongside the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and North Korea, while successive Japanese governments supported international efforts to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
That framework has gradually weakened. Although the first Trump administration held historic summits with Kim and secured renewed commitments toward denuclearization, no agreement was ultimately reached. More recently, Trump has made comments that some observers interpret as treating North Korea as a de facto nuclear weapons state rather than a country expected to surrender its arsenal.
At the same time, North Korea's strategic position has strengthened. Pyongyang has deepened military cooperation with Russia, supplying troops and weapons in support of Moscow's war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea is believed to have gained access to advanced missile and military technologies. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea last year, highlighting the growing partnership between the two countries.
China also faces a more complicated relationship with Pyongyang than in the past. As competition with the United States intensifies and North Korea's ties with Russia deepen, Beijing appears increasingly reluctant to pressure Kim's government over its nuclear program. Xi's decision to avoid discussing denuclearization publicly during the visit has fueled speculation that China may be placing greater emphasis on strategic stability than on achieving complete nuclear disarmament.
For Japan, the concern is that a gradual shift by Washington, Beijing and Moscow toward accepting North Korea's nuclear status could leave Tokyo confronting a permanent nuclear threat on its doorstep. North Korea has repeatedly tested ballistic missiles capable of reaching Japan and continues to develop more advanced delivery systems designed to evade missile defenses.
Analysts say Japan may need to take a more active diplomatic role if it hopes to keep denuclearization on the international agenda. That could involve urging both the United States and China to maintain pressure on Pyongyang while strengthening security cooperation with regional partners.
As North Korea's international standing rises and its relationships with both Russia and China evolve, Japan faces the prospect that the debate may no longer be how to eliminate North Korea's nuclear arsenal, but how to manage the risks posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea that has no intention of giving it up.
Source: TBS
