TOKYO,
Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research
Council Chairman Shoichi Nakagawa aroused criticism from party members since he
repeated the call for a debate over the necessity of a nuclear buildup for Japan
on Wednesday.
Hidenao Nakagawa, secretary general of the LDP, told
reporters on Thursday that the problem whether Japan should develop nuclear
power should neither be talked about in the government nor in the party, and he
called on Shoichi to adopt self-restraint over the issue.
Former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said
Japan's not going nuclear has multilateral and reasonable basis. He warned that
a nuclear debate could lead to the international society's suspicion that Japan
may use its nuclear energy technology on the development of nuclear weapons.
Former Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said that it
is crucial for Japan to tell the international society that it does not intend
to possess nuclear weapons.
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori directly
criticized Shoichi Nakagawa for making the remarks and warned that Japan should
not go nuclear.
The LDP policy chief's nuclear remarks on Wednesday
was the latest of a series since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
announced its nuclear test on Oct. 9.
Responding to the hawkish remarks, Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe recently ruled out a nuclear debate in the government and
even in the ruling party.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki also
reiterated that Japan will hold onto its war-renouncing Constitution and three
principles of not possessing, producing and allowing nuclear
arms.
