Two Japanese Injured Handling Abandoned Chemical Weapons in China; Beijing Says They Have Been Discharged and Returned to Japan
On May 26, two Japanese workers were injured in Jilin Province, China, while handling abandoned chemical weapons from WWII, when a shell leaked toxic gas. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Chinese personnel provided immediate on-site medical care and hospitalization, and the two were discharged and returned to Japan on May 29. The disposal operation is a joint effort by the Chinese and Japanese governments, with approximately 118,000 chemical weapons destroyed as of the end of March last year, though the project has faced multiple delays.
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- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 20:24
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 4) Amidst strained Japan-China relations, two Japanese workers were injured last week in Jilin Province, China, while handling chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. China's Foreign Ministry stated today that Chinese personnel provided immediate on-site medical treatment and hospitalization, and the two have been discharged and returned to Japan.
Kyodo News reported today that the Japanese government had previously disclosed that on May 26, during excavation and recovery operations of abandoned chemical weapons in Jilin Province, a shell leaked toxic gas, injuring the hands of two Japanese workers who were subsequently hospitalized. The two were reported to be in non-life-threatening condition and have since been discharged.
According to a post on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's official website, a reporter from TV Asahi raised the question during a regular press conference held by the ministry in the afternoon.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that on May 26, during the process of handling abandoned chemical weapons in Jilin Province, two Japanese personnel had their arms contaminated due to a damaged chemical shell. Chinese personnel provided immediate on-site medical care and hospitalization. After receiving treatment, the two were sent back to Japan on May 29.
Public records show that the destruction of chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese Imperial Army in China is a joint effort by the Chinese and Japanese governments. The two countries signed the "Memorandum on the Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons by Japan in China" in 1999, and operations have been carried out since 2000 in locations including Nanjing, Jiangsu Province; Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province; Wuhan, Hubei Province; and Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
The project was originally scheduled for completion in 2007 but has been delayed multiple times. Since Japan-China relations became strained in November of last year, China has repeatedly urged Japan to increase its investment and accelerate the disposal process of the abandoned chemical weapons.
According to Kyodo News, the bilateral memorandum stipulates that the Japanese government will provide the necessary funds and technology for the destruction of the abandoned chemical weapons. Data from Japan's Cabinet Office shows that as of the end of March last year, a total of approximately 118,000 chemical weapons had been destroyed. The disposal work is still ongoing. (Editor: Yang Shengru / Chen Yanjun) 1150604
Kyodo News reported today that the Japanese government had previously disclosed that on May 26, during excavation and recovery operations of abandoned chemical weapons in Jilin Province, a shell leaked toxic gas, injuring the hands of two Japanese workers who were subsequently hospitalized. The two were reported to be in non-life-threatening condition and have since been discharged.
According to a post on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's official website, a reporter from TV Asahi raised the question during a regular press conference held by the ministry in the afternoon.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that on May 26, during the process of handling abandoned chemical weapons in Jilin Province, two Japanese personnel had their arms contaminated due to a damaged chemical shell. Chinese personnel provided immediate on-site medical care and hospitalization. After receiving treatment, the two were sent back to Japan on May 29.
Public records show that the destruction of chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese Imperial Army in China is a joint effort by the Chinese and Japanese governments. The two countries signed the "Memorandum on the Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons by Japan in China" in 1999, and operations have been carried out since 2000 in locations including Nanjing, Jiangsu Province; Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province; Wuhan, Hubei Province; and Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.
The project was originally scheduled for completion in 2007 but has been delayed multiple times. Since Japan-China relations became strained in November of last year, China has repeatedly urged Japan to increase its investment and accelerate the disposal process of the abandoned chemical weapons.
According to Kyodo News, the bilateral memorandum stipulates that the Japanese government will provide the necessary funds and technology for the destruction of the abandoned chemical weapons. Data from Japan's Cabinet Office shows that as of the end of March last year, a total of approximately 118,000 chemical weapons had been destroyed. The disposal work is still ongoing. (Editor: Yang Shengru / Chen Yanjun) 1150604