At least 36 Chinese workers in Qiqihar City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, have been injured by the chemical weapons left over by Japanese invading army during World War II.

A victim lies on the bed at a hospital in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province. At least 36 Chinese people were injured by the chemical weapons left over by the Japanese army in World War II at a construction site in Qiqihar on April 4. [Xinhua]

Doctors said three of the victims are now in critical condition with the decline of white blood cells, subdued blood production capability of marrow and difficulty in breathing. Others have turned stable.

The chemical weapons, discovered on April 4 at a construction site, were stored up in five metallic barrels, one of which was carelessly broken by the workers, making oil-like material leak out and infiltrated into the soil.

On April 9, Chinese scientists confirmed the chemical weapons left over by the Japanese army as poisonous mustard gas.

According to a Xinhua News Agency report, two construction workers there unaware of the nature of the material, bought these five barrels, cut them into parts, and sold them to a waste station located in a residential community.

Things were made worse when the polluted soil from the construction site were removed by trucks to several different places.

By 6:00 pm on April 4, three people had reported terrible headache, eye-ache, vomits and other symptoms, and residents informed local police at 8:00 pm.

The Qiqihar municipal government immediately mobilized strong police force to prevent the pollution from further spreading and medical treatment was soon organized for all the victims, among which 29 were hospitalized.

Experts later confirmed, after technical analysis, that the material carried by the five barrels were chemical weapons left by Japanese army during the Second World War and the oil-like stuff were mustard gas.

On April 8, Chinese Government urged Japan to seriously deal with the accident. Fu Ying, director of the Asia department of Chinese Foreign Ministry, called in a minister of the Japanese embassy in Beijing and lodged solemn representations.

Fu said that the use of chemical and biological weapons was a severe crime of Japanese invaders during the Second World War and the deserted Japanese chemical weapons seriously had injured Chinese civilians for many times after the war.

Japan shoulders unshirkable responsibility for resolving the problem, Fu said.

Fu urged the Japanese side to tackle the issue seriously and shoulder relevant responsibility and obligation for the Chinese losses.

China has helped destroy these left Japanese chemical weapons, hoping that Japan can speed up the progress and resolve the problem thoroughly at an early date, Fu said.

Hu Jintao on Relationship

On April 9, Chinese president Hu Jintao called on people with far-sightedness in China and Japan to work together to help push forward cooperation and exchange between the two countries.

Hu, also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, met former Japanese Prime Ministers Ryutaro Hashimoto, Murayama Tomiichi, the incumbent Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and representatives of a number of Japan-China friendship organizations, who are in Beijing to mark the 25th anniversary of the treaty of peace and friendship signed between China and Japan in 1978.

The signing of the treaty is an epoch-making event in the history of the Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said. The treaty for the first time codified in the form of law the general direction of peaceful co-existence and lasting friendship between the two countries, setting a solid political foundation for the development of Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said.

He said practice has proved that when both sides followed the principles of the three important documents governing bilateral relations, Sino-Japanese relations would develop smoothly, otherwise, the relationship would suffer setbacks.

Hu said that both China and Japan should, more than ever, value their hard-won friendship, and be more aware of the historical responsibilities and the noble mission to promote Sino-Japanese relations when they review the history and lessons.

He voiced his hope that people with far-sightedness of the two countries would take the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese treaty of peace and friendship to increase mutual understanding and mutual trust and help expand the cooperation and exchange of the two countries in all fields.

Hashimoto and other Japanese visitors said they were pleased to attend the activities to mark the anniversary, which were important for furthering the relations between Japan and China in the new century.

The visitors said that the relations between Japan and China had maintained developing momentum over the past 25 years despite twists and turns.

The visitors said they were confident of a bright future for Japan-China relations with the efforts of both sides.

tions, who are in Beijing to mark the 25th anniversary of the treaty of peace and friendship signed between China and Japan in 1978.

The signing of the treaty is an epoch-making event in the history of the Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said. The treaty for the first time codified in the form of law the general direction of peaceful co-existence and lasting friendship between the two countries, setting a solid political foundation for the development of Sino-Japanese relations, Hu said.

Hu said practice has proved that when both sides followed the principles of the three important documents governing bilateral relations, Sino-Japanese relations would develop smoothly, otherwise, the relationship would suffer setbacks.

Hu said that both China and Japan should, more than ever, value their hard-won friendship, and be more aware of the historical responsibilities and the noble mission to promote Sino-Japanese relations when they review the history and lessons.

Hu voiced his hope that people with far-sightedness of the two countries would take the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese treaty of peace and friendship to increase mutual understanding and mutual trust and help expand the cooperation and exchange of the two countries in all fields.

Hashimoto and other Japanese visitors said they were pleased to attend the activities to mark the anniversary, which were important for furthering the relations between Japan and China in the new century.

The visitors said that the relations between Japan and China had maintained developing momentum over the past 25 years despite twists and turns.

The visitors said they were confident of a bright future for Japan-China relations with the efforts of both sides.

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