BEIJING, Aug. 29 -- "Eliminating the Japanese ACWs is the inescapable responsibilities of the Japanese side from the perspectives of history, politics and legal concerns," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, when answering media query at a press conference on Thursday.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the MOU between the governments of the PRC and Japan on the destruction of the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China. It is reported that Hideo Shimizu, a former member of Unit 731of the Japanese Imperial Army, recently went to the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731to testify and apologize for the crimes committed by the unit during the Japanese invasion of China.
The spokesperson noted that the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China (Japanese ACWs) are remnants of the Japanese militarism's invasion of China.They are still severe problems left by history that pose real threats. During the WWII, Japanese invaders blatantly violated the international law and transported a large number of chemical weapons into China. Besides, they committed heinous crimes against humanity by conducting horrendous bacterial warfare against the Chinese people, causing huge casualties of Chinese military and civilian personnel. After being defeated, the Japanese imperial army secretly abandoned a large number of chemical weapons within China's borders. Right until now, these Japanese ACWs still have detrimental impacts on Chinese people's health and China's eco-environment. The evidence is iron-clad and there is no room for denial.
The spokesperson further pointed out that the Chinese government and military keep urging the Japanese side to address the issue at an early date in a secure, clear and thorough way and cooperate with the Chinese side in accordance with relevant spirits enshrined in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the MOU between Chinese and Japanese governments. The Chinese military has input heavily in investigation, identification, transfer, storage, destruction, and emergency response of the Japanese ACWs. We've made important contribution to the acceleration of the disposal process. By now, with great support of the Chinese side, the Japanese side has dig out and taken back more than 130,000 items of abandoned chemical weapons and destroyed nearly 100,000 of them. However, due to lack of techniques and funds, the work has been seriously delayed and the destruction of Japanese ACWs has failed to meet its deadline multiple times.
Eliminating the Japanese ACWs is the inescapable responsibilities of the Japanese side from the perspectives of history, politics and legal concerns. We urge the Japanese government to learn from Hideo Shimizu, accept the history, apologize for the crime, faithfully fulfill its obligations stipulated in the international conventions and the bilateral MOU, increase inputs, and provide effective clues so as to implement plans for the destruction of Japanese ACWs after 2022 in a comprehensive, complete and accurate way. The faster the destruction, the earlier Chinese people will restore a clear land, stressed the spokesperson.
