Japan's Vice Defense Minister Resigns ����Japan Vice Defense Minister Shingo Nishimura Wednesday resigned from his post after receiving strong criticism for suggesting that Japan arm itself with nuclear weapons. ����Earlier, Nishimura said in an interview with the Weekly Playboy magazine that Japanese parliament "should consider the fact that Japan may be better off if it arms itself with nuclear weapons." ����On Tuesday, the Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party issued statements accusing Nishimura's remarks of running counter to Japan's policy on nuclear weapons. ����Nishimura, a member of the Liberal Party, sparked controversy in 1997 when he made a trip to China's Diaoyudao Islands (known in Japan as Senkaku Islands) in the East China Sea. ����Nishimura became vice minister on October 5, 1999 when Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi reshuffled his cabinet to launch a new coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Party and the New Komeito Party. (Xinhua) WorldNews 1999-10-21 Page6 Full Story in Chinese