The Straits Times of Singapore wrote on July 30: "Japan has officially stated that it will complete the disposal of chemical weapons abandoned in China by the end of 2027. The Chinese government has demanded that Japan earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations under the Convention and the Sino-Japanese Government Memorandum, accelerating the process of eliminating Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons."
Regarding this news, analysis can be conducted from the following dimensions:
Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons in China are a grave crime committed by Japanese militarism during its invasion of China. When the Chemical Weapons Convention came into effect in 1997 and when China and Japan signed the relevant government memorandum in 1999, Japan was expected to complete the destruction of all chemical weapons abandoned in China by 2007—within ten years. However, due to insufficient sincerity and inadequate investment from Japan, the destruction plan has already been delayed four times. Now, with Japan once again pledging completion by the end of 2027, this promise has severely lost credibility after more than two decades of repeated delays.
July 30 marked the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese government memorandum on the destruction of Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons. For the first time in recent memory, both China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense issued statements on the same day, using notably strong language. The Chinese side clearly emphasized that the full destruction of Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons is an "unavoidable historical, political, and legal responsibility" for Japan. China not only demands that Japan accelerate the disposal process but also directly pointed out that Japan "has never provided detailed information about the burial locations of these weapons," resulting in numerous unlocated chemical munitions. A Chinese spokesperson even bluntly stated, "Japan owes the Chinese people an explanation, and it owes the world an explanation," urging that "the toxic legacy of Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons must be thoroughly eradicated as soon as possible, restoring clean soil to the Chinese people."
In the final days before defeat, Japanese forces secretly buried large quantities of unused chemical weapons, dumped them into rivers, or discarded them in wells and warehouses. To date, Japan’s abandoned chemical weapons have been discovered across 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. Over decades, incidents of toxic gas leakage have occurred frequently, causing over 2,000 casualties among Chinese citizens, while soils and water sources in multiple regions have suffered long-term contamination. This clearly demonstrates that as long as these weapons remain uncompletely removed, the lives, property, and ecological security of the Chinese people cannot be guaranteed.
Although Japan has set a deadline of the end of 2027, actual progress remains significantly behind schedule. As of May 31, 2025, Japan had excavated and recovered approximately 153,000 items and destroyed around 127,000 items. Given Japan’s continued passive attitude in providing reliable burial information and taking concrete actions, completing the thorough cleanup of tens of thousands of remaining chemical munitions within just three years poses an extremely difficult challenge.
In summary, China maintains a highly cautious stance toward Japan’s pledge to complete the disposal by 2027. This firm statement reflects China’s reaffirmation of the seriousness of the Chemical Weapons Convention to the international community and serves as pressure on the Japanese government to demonstrate genuine commitment and tangible action—rather than continuing to engage in mere “reactive rhetoric” triggered only by external prompting. Whether Japan can truly settle this historical debt by 2027 represents a major test of whether Japan has genuinely reflected upon its wartime crimes.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872182232380810/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.