Officials with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday urged
Japan to accelerate the destruction of chemical weapons left in
China by Japanese invaders during World War II.
According to the stipulations of the Chemical Weapons
Convention, which went into effect in 1997, Japan should destroy
all chemical weapons found in China by 2007.
On Friday, Ge Guangbiao, director of the office dealing with the
problems arising from the chemical weapons that Japan left in
China, which is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lu Quan, a
county of Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei
Province, said: "The Japanese government should provide overall
statistics on its abandoned chemical weapons in China to the
Chinese government, including the location, numbers and categories
of the weapons.''
Ge is now the head of the Chinese delegation aiding an
investigation group sent by the Japanese government to deal with
the 52 gas bombs left by the Japanese army. The investigation,
which mainly aims to seal up the bombs using special hermetic
containers in preparation for their future destruction, started on
September 6 and is expected to end on September 22.
Saito Gun, head of the Japanese investigation group admitted on
Friday to
China Daily that their first-stage work last
week has proved that the 52 bombs were really left by the Japanese
army during World War II. Saito is a senior official with the
Abandoned Chemical Weapons Office under the Japanese Cabinet.
Immediately after being found in Gaocheng, a city east of
Shijiazhuang in 1991, these 52 gas bombs were transferred to a
special storage place in the mountainous area around Lu Quan for
safety concerns.
In reference to the compensation claims of victims injured by
the bombs, Saito said he is not quite clear on the situation and
refused to comment.
"How dare they say they do not know about our injuries and the
economic losses caused by the bombs!'' 58-year-old Huang Chengcai
said angrily on Friday. Huang is among the 20 victims who had close
contact with the bombs in 1991 when they were found accidentally.
They all had poisoning symptoms such as breathing difficulties,
severe headaches and skin sores.
Huang said he has twice seen officials sent by the Japanese
government to conduct investigations in Gaocheng since 1991 and has
all the relevant information ready.
"Anyway, I will never quit seeking an apology and compensation
from the Japanese government for their offensive and unreasonable
behavior, never!'' said Huang, who has stuck to his guns for 12
years.
He further expressed his firm stand on taking his accusation
against the Japanese government to a Japanese court. "No matter
whether the Japanese courts make a just decision or not, I am
determined to do this.''
Also on Friday, the site of the digging up and sealing of the 52
gas bombs in Luquan's mountainous areas was opened to the media for
the very first time. Over 50 journalists from organizations at home
and abroad, including
China Daily, visited the site.
According to Wang Jun, an official with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs specially dealing with abandoned chemical weapons the
Japanese army left in China, effective measures have been adopted
to guarantee the safety of persons conducting the work and local
residents, as well as protection of the environment.
A total of 21 gas bombs had been dug out by Friday, according to
sources.
Currently, over 100 Chinese officials and professionals from the
ministries of foreign affairs and defense are assisting the
53-member Japanese group on the site.
With assistance from the Chinese side, Japan has conducted some
40 investigations to seal up chemical weapons in China since
1995.
(China Daily September 13, 2003)
