- A local Chinese government committee posted a video recommending nuclear strikes in response to
Japan 's support of Taiwan. - The video asks Chinese viewers to combine their "old and new hatred" toward Japan.
- It has received 6,673 likes so far, with up-voted comments voicing their approval.
The official social media account of a local municipal authority in
"If Japan intervenes in military affairs to reunify Taiwan, I must recommend the 'exceptional theory of nuclear strikes on Japan,'" reads the title of the video, which was posted on Sunday by the municipal committee of Baoji, a major city in the province of Shaanxi.
The "exceptional theory" refers to the idea that China can make an exception for Japan in its "no first use" policy with nuclear weapons. The "no first use" policy declares that China can only use nuclear weapons in self-defense.
The video was posted to Xigua, a Chinese video platform akin to YouTube. It was originally created by "Liu Jun Tao Lue" or Six Army Strategy, a military commentary channel with over two million followers. The original channel has since taken down its posting of the video.
In the video, a narrator responds to Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso's comment earlier this month that Japan would need to help defend Taiwan if the latter were to be invaded. Japan's annual white paper on defense also expressed concerns about Taiwan's survival, warning of a crisis if US-China relations continue to sour.
The video's narrator said Japan "has not learned its lesson from history" and advocated for "continuously using nuclear bombs until Japan announces its unconditional surrender for the second time."
The video suggested China should "combine the new and old hatred" for Japan, asking Chinese viewers to channel their disdain from Japan's World War II invasion of China with their resentment over Minister Aso's recent Taiwan statements.
China and Japan's old history of conflicts and war crimes, such as the Nanjing Massacre, have long caused dissension between the two nations.
"Our country is undergoing major changes unlike any in the last century... In order to ensure the peaceful rise of our country, it is necessary to take measures," said the video, right before repeating its recommendation of nuclear strikes on Japan.
By Thursday, the Baoji government's posting of the video had garnered 6,673 likes and 150,000 views, and Chinese social media users appear to praise the video in the comments section.
"This video is what many people of our country think," wrote one commenter.
"Good! I fully support this! The day of revenge is coming!" said another, while one more wrote that Japan's nuclear reactors would "take care of business" if China fires missiles at them.
All three comments have accrued hundreds of likes.
The Baoji municipal government did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.