BEIJING, October 28. /TASS/. Japan could develop a nuclear explosive device in a matter of weeks if its government decided to pursue nuclear weapons, according to Dai Huaicheng, Secretary-General of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA). Speaking to TASS, Dai said Japan’s advanced industrial base and existing plutonium stockpiles could allow it to achieve this far more quickly than other countries. "From a technical and material standpoint, Japan is already on the ‘nuclear threshold’ when it comes to overcoming the hurdles involved in producing even a single nuclear explosive device. As one American expert aptly put it, Japan ‘only needs to turn a screwdriver’ to acquire nuclear weapons," Dai said.

"Based on statements by various Japanese officials and analyses by both domestic and foreign experts, Japan could theoretically produce a nuclear explosive device in a very short time if it chose to take that risk. Some estimates suggest the process could take just over 100 days - or perhaps even as little as a few dozen days," he added.

"On the other hand, from a technical standpoint, creating a full-scale nuclear arsenal requires completing stages such as weaponization, testing, and systems integration. However, the international community must remain on guard: Japan possesses long-standing stockpiles of nuclear materials, technologies, and delivery systems, meaning the time it would take for the country to complete this process would be significantly shorter than for other nations," the expert noted.

"This is precisely why the misguided statements and actions of the Japanese authorities in the nuclear realm pose a particular danger: they are attempting to remove the final political and legal barrier preventing Japan from crossing the 'nuclear threshold’," Dai concluded.