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Japan left 2m

chemical weapons: 8

saus China

BEIJING: Retreating Japanese soldiers left two million chemical weapons in China after their World War Two surrender in 1945, the Liberation Army Daily said on Monday.

Japanese soldiers also left behind 100 tonnes of toxic substances, the anti-chemical weapon department under the General Staff Headquarters revealed at a seminar last week after an eight-year investigation, the newspaper said.

"Up to today, these toxic substances still endanger the safety of the lives and property of our people," the newspaper of the People's Liberation Army said.

The Japanese performed experiments on people at experimental bases across China, in Beijing, Shanghai, southern Nanjing, eastern Hangzhou, northern Shijiazhuang, northeastern Harbin and northwestern Tatong, the newspaper said. It gave no other details.

Chinese historians have estimated that more than 3,000 Chinese, Korean, Mongolian and Soviet citizens died in such experiments.

China has demanded repeatedly that Japan remove all Japanese chemical weapons. Japan said in June it was ready to dispose of all World War Two-era chemical weapons confirmed by its inspection team as left in China by Japanese soldiers.-Reuter