China urges Japan to speed up full chain of disposal of ACWs

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday urged Japan to expedite the comprehensive disposal of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) in China and to restore clean land to the Chinese people and justice to the international community as soon as possible.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks during a daily news briefing in response to a related question.

"Japan's ACWs in China mark one of the gravest crimes that Japanese militarists committed during the war of aggression against China," Guo said.

He added that China has consistently urged Japan to destroy them completely and thoroughly at an early date in strict accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries' governments. "To date, Japan has excavated and retrieved about 160,000 ACWs and destroyed nearly 130,000. However, the destruction process is generally seriously lagging behind schedule."

He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and that July 30 marks the 26th anniversary of the signing of the MoU between the governments of the People's Republic of China and Japan on the destruction of the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China.

The spokesperson said that even today, Japanese ACWs continue to pose a serious threat to the safety of the life and property of the Chinese people, as well as to the ecological environment, and Japan bears an unshirkable historical responsibility.

China urges Japan to take seriously the concerns of China and the international community, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, honor its commitments, and increase inputs in all aspects.

"Japan should do everything to speed up the full chain of the disposal of the ACWs, so that the day will come sooner when the Chinese people no longer have to live on soil tainted by ACWs, and when justice is restored to the international community," he said. Enditem