New Delhi, July 20 -- TOKYO - China's People's Liberation Army Navy launched a ballistic missile from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in June. Japan's government, citing that launch, has begun a formal revision of its security documents and opened discussions about hosting American nuclear weapons on its territory for the first time since the Cold War.

Nikkei Asia reported that Japan's Defense Ministry has confirmed revisions to the country's core security frameworks will be completed before the end of 2026. The acceleration of that timeline, triggered by the submarine launch, reflects a calculation in Tokyo that the strategic environment has shifted faster than existing deterrence arrangements can accommodate.

At the center of th...