Exhibition on abandoned Japanese chemical weapons in China held in Holland

Dozens of pictures and witness videos telling the history and present status of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan on Chinese territory are on exhibition at the World Forum here on Monday.

The exhibition took place on the sidelines of the 20th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (OPCW).

"This year marks the centennial anniversary of the first large-scale use of chemical weapons (CWs) in human history, as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It is therefore of great significance for China to hold the exhibition at this time," announced Chen Xu, permanent representative from China to the OPCW.

"Seventy years ago, Japanese invaders in China wantonly used chemical weapons against the Chinese people and soldiers, causing tremendous casualties. Seventy years ever since, Japanese abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) are still threatening and harming the Chinese people's lives and properties as well as environmental safety in China," said the Chinese diplomat.

Japanese ACWs have been discovered at over 90 locations in 17 provinces in China. They are projectiles, mortars, aerial bombs, liquid-filled drums and gas-filled pots containing chemical agents such as sulfur mustards, lewisite and phosgene, etc.

They have been found dumped in densely populated areas, in nature reserves and in rivers and lakes, as well as off shore. Due to their age, these munitions are rusty, damaged and often leaking. Some also contain explosives.

At Haerbaling in Jilin province alone, the largest Japanese ACWs burial site discovered in China up to now, it is estimated that around 330,000 pieces of such weapons remain buried.

Up to date, only over 50,000 items of Japanese ACWs have been safely recovered, of which about 38,000 pieces have been destroyed.

Due to the fact that Japan has failed to provide any information on their burial, the weapons have been found purely by chance, with consequent human casualties and environmental pollution.

"For this reason, Japanese ACWs pose a far greater threat than CW stockpiles," stressed Chen. He urged Japan to step up its efforts and speed up the destruction, so as to return a clean land to China at an early date.

"The destruction of Japanese ACWs is a stringent stipulation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and it constitutes an international obligation for Japan as well. China is gravely concerned over the current pace of the destruction, which has been falling behind schedule," said Chen Xu.

China also hopes the OPCW will continue to monitor and review the issue of Japanese ACWs and ensure adequate resources input and capability allocations for this purpose, he added.

Director-General of the OPCW Ahmet Uzumcu expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for organizing this exhibition. "I am sure it will shed further light on the issue of Japanese ACWs in China," he said.

"These ACWs constitute security and safety threats to the people living around the sites, and also to the environment. The OPCW will continue to facilitate this process through the tripartite mechanism," he said. Endit