China on Friday urged Japan to heed public calls to uphold its non-nuclear principles after a recent Japanese poll showed overwhelming opposition to possessing or hosting nuclear weapons.

"The fact that nearly 80% of people in Japan support upholding the three non-nuclear principles and oppose nuclear sharing speaks to the Japanese public's overwhelming and clear-cut opposition to possessing nuclear weapons," Lin Jian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said.  

It also reflects how much the Japanese public cherish peace and prosperity, which has not come easy, he added.

"Recent moves by those running the Japanese government to clamor for the 'nuclear option' and seek to violate the three non-nuclear principles only reveal Japanese right-wing forces' inflating political and military ambitions, who are gambling with the future of over 100 million Japanese people," Lin said.

"The will of the people must not be defied," the spokesperson said.

He urged Japan to heed public opinion, fulfill its international legal obligations not to accept, produce, possess or proliferate nuclear weapons, stop playing with fire on nuclear issues, and avoid repeating the mistake of misjudging the course of history and acting against the public's desire for peace.

(Cover: Lin Jian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, at a press conference in Beijing, July 28, 2026. /VCG)