China again demands Japan to accelerate process of addressing abandoned chemical weapons

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China again demands that Japan accelerate the process of addressing abandoned chemical weapons (ACWs) as it is Japan's unshakable responsibility, give back to the Chinese people their clean homeland, and remove the biggest obstacle to realizing a world free of chemical weapons, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing when answering a query related to the 29th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which falls on Wednesday.

"Japan's abandoned chemical weapons in China is one of the gravest crimes committed by the Japanese militarists during the war of aggression against China. To this day, the ACWs continue to pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the Chinese people and the environment in affected regions," said Lin.

Complete destruction of these weapons is Japan's due international obligation, Lin said, adding that China has been urging Japan to completely and thoroughly destruct the ACWs without further delay in accordance with the provisions of the CWC and the MoUs between the two governments regarding this issue.

"To remove the hazardous ACWs is Japan's unshirkable responsibility. Once again we demand that Japan earnestly take its historical and present responsibilities, fulfill its obligation under the CWC, provide clues to burial sites with nothing withheld, and invest more resources to accelerate the process, restore a safe living environment for the Chinese people and eliminate the roadblock to a world free of chemical weapons," said Lin.