The New Meaning of Hiroshima

From May 19 to 21, I am hosting the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union in Hiroshima for the 2023 summit of the G-7. The symbolism of the location is both powerful and deliberate. Hiroshima, the city I have represented throughout my political career, was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945, the first time nuclear weapons were used. That terrible history led me to make nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation my life’s work, animated by the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons. Today, Hiroshima’s past should serve as a reminder of what can happen when peace and order break down and give way to instability and conflict—a reminder that is needed more than at any other time in recent decades.

The world is at a historic crossroads. It is facing a complex of crises, from climate change and pandemics to food and energy insecurity to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which has shaken the very foundations of the international order. At the G-7 Hiroshima summit, held against this backdrop, we must powerfully demonstrate our determination to uphold a free and open international order based on the rule of law. At the same time, we must also strengthen our outreach to the countries of the so-called global South. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on people’s livelihoods across the world, but especially in the global South. Unless we listen to and address the concerns related to that impact, we will fail to build the trust necessary to uphold a free and open order.

GLOBAL STAKES

In March, I visited Ukraine. In the city of Bucha, I saw with my own eyes the consequences of Russia’s atrocities, and I heard the stories of those who survived these brutal acts. While there, I invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to participate in discussions at the summit, a testament to the G-7 members’ common commitment to continue supporting Ukraine and maintaining severe sanctions against Russia. In Hiroshima, we will once again call on Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine and reiterate that forcible acquisition of territory and unilateral attempts to change internationally recognized borders by force cannot be allowed.

As the only Asian country in the G-7, Japan is in a unique position to make clear to the world that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not just a problem for Ukraine or Europe but also a threat to the security and prosperity of people everywhere. Russia’s actions challenge the very foundation of an international order based on the rule of law, violating the basic principles enshrined in the UN Charter. If Moscow succeeds in Ukraine, the repercussions will undermine peace and stability not only in Europe but also in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

We must also show that irresponsible nuclear rhetoric by Russia is unacceptable. I chose Hiroshima to host the G-7 summit because there is no better place to send an urgent message, spoken in one voice by the seven leaders: that we must do everything we can to continue the 77-year-old record of the nonuse of nuclear weapons since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To that end, I have made it a priority to focus on practical and realistic efforts to move toward a world without nuclear weapons, enshrined in the Hiroshima Action Plan. The plan calls for a shared recognition of the importance of continuing the record of nonuse of nuclear weapons; enhancing transparency; further reducing the global nuclear stockpile; securing nuclear nonproliferation and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy on that basis; and promoting an accurate understanding of the realities of nuclear weapons use by encouraging visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by international leaders and others.

Japan is also in a unique position to explain why a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” is essential not just to countries in our region. Just as the fate of Ukraine is inseparable from the fate of the global order, so is the future of our region—one where we must ensure that cooperation triumphs over confrontation and division. The Indo-Pacific drives global economic growth but also faces a number of security and economic challenges.

During my recent visit to India, I laid out Japan’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, a vision underpinned by “rule-making through dialogue,” which respects historical and cultural diversity while ensuring equality among nations. In Hiroshima, G-7 leaders will deepen our discussions of the Indo-Pacific so that the G-7 is aligned in responding to regional challenges. China’s current external stance and military activities are a matter of serious concern to both Japan and the international community and present an unprecedented strategic challenge to peace and stability. This challenge must be addressed through robust national defense and cooperation among allies and like-minded partners, as well as through regular dialogue with China aimed at building constructive and stable relations.

FRIENDS IN NEED

Japan has made it a priority to help address the region’s urgent needs, mobilizing more than $75 billion in public and private financing for infrastructure projects; introducing new tools for official development assistance; launching a form of cooperation that will enable us to develop and propose attractive plans tailored to development demands while taking advantage of Japan’s strengths; and enabling the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to more effectively use public-private partnerships to promote private investment. Showing that we are committed to helping solve the biggest economic and social problems is essential if we are to unite countries everywhere in defense of a free and open order.

But with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine exacerbating many shared challenges, the countries of the G-7 must do more to mitigate the impact on people’s lives, especially in the global South. The Hiroshima summit will be an opportunity to discuss, for example, how countries can work together to leverage public-private partnerships in service of sustainable development, secure stable energy supplies, and enhance economic resilience and security. We can address risks to our economic security and vulnerabilities in supply chains through diversification, including investments in emerging economies—particularly when it comes to giving them a greater role in the supply chain for clean energy technology.

We can do so without sacrificing progress in the fight against climate change. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has reminded the international community of the importance of energy security, but we can’t give up on the Paris agreement’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. I believe that it is essential to show various pathways toward a resilient energy transition while taking into account national circumstances. That requires doing more to support those who are vulnerable to climate change as well as those who need assistance in meeting emission-reduction targets. Japan has driven this agenda in our own region through its proposal of an Asia Zero Emission Community, which would support energy transitions by taking advantage of Japanese technologies and systems.

The G-7 Hiroshima summit comes at a moment that, one way or another, will prove to be a turning point for the world. It is a unique opportunity to express our determination to reinforce a free and open international order while proactively addressing the needs of people across the globe, including those in the global South. As chair of the G-7 Hiroshima summit, I am committed to exerting leadership in that effort.