Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui will warn of ‘new cold war’ on 73rd anniversary of nuclear attack via South China Morning Post

China has confirmed it will not be sending its ambassador and there has been no word from the US on whether its representative will pay respects

[…]

Mayor Kazumi Matsui will deliver the annual Peace Declaration in the city’s Peace Memorial Park on Monday, the 73rd anniversary of a nuclear bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. An outline of the declaration showed Matsui will warn a growing tendency around the world to prioritise national interests above all else. This has caused an upsurge in tensions reminiscent of the darkest days of the cold war, he will argue.

The mayor will also urge the Japanese government to become more involved in efforts by the international community to abolish nuclear weapons through dialogue and cooperation. In addition, Matsui will state that while there has been progress on eliminating North Korea’s atomic arsenal, the world must work to ease tensions on the peninsula and the region.