Chemical weapons
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On Wednesday, the Japanese government said it had started to destroy chemical weapons that its troops abandoned in China during World War II. This has been the result of years of efforts from the two governments and shows that Japan is willing to reflect on its military past.
The two governments have been working together to remove the abandoned chemicals following the Chemical Weapons Convention and their relevant bilateral memorandum.
Japanese troops committed a serious crime by leaving behind chemical weapons in China during WWII. They developed, produced and used a great number of chemical weapons during their invasion of China. To cover up their crimes before they surrendered, they buried or abandoned many of these weapons.
It is outrageous that 65 years after Japan's aggression against China ended, such deadly weapons are still threatening human life and the environment in China. From time to time, some of the abandoned weapons have been discovered in parts of China. They not only injure and kill Chinese citizens, but also hurt their feelings and affect Sino-Japanese relations.
According to the international convention that took effect in 1997, all states that possess chemical weapons must destroy them by April 29, 2012. Japan has a moral obligation and legal responsibility to destroy the deadly weapons on Chinese soil, as soon as possible.
Japan should increase manpower and allocate resources to speed up the work, along with efforts to ensure personal safety and environmental protection in the process.
As this year marks the 65th anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression as well as the world's Anti-Fascist War, Japan's move to destroy abandoned chemical weapons could also help improve its image in Asia and the world at large. Many Asian countries still feel indignant over its militaristic past.
In this regard, the latest move could be interpreted as Japan's willingness to carry out concrete action to make up for its wartime past.
