13 August 1982
An exhibition of photographs showing bacteriological warfare committed by Japan's Unit 731 is inaugurated in Tokyo. Near the exhibition hall, Sadao Koshi, the driver for General Shiro Ishii from 1939 to 1945, provides first hand accounts of killing of prisoners of war with poison gas and toxic chemicals to visitors to the museum.
Note: General Ishii, a biologist, was Commander of Unit 731.
--"Tokyo Exhibition on Japanese Troops' Atrocities in China," Xinhua News Agency, 13 August 1982; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

15 November 1984
China accedes to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
--Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Website, Administered by the Department of Peace Studies of the University of Bradford at the request of the President of the 5th Review Conference, www.opbw.org.

17 October 1990
Reaffirming China's official stance on weapons of mass destruction, Hou Zhitong, China's Ambassador to United Nations, tells the First Committee of the UN General Assembly that China has consistently opposed arms races and stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear, space, chemical and biological weapons.
--"China on Disarmament Issues," Xinhua News Agency, 17 October 1990; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

19 May 1991
China and the Soviet Union release a Joint Sino-Soviet Communiqué following Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin's official visit to the Soviet Union at the request of Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev. Both sides declare that they stand for strengthening the enforcement of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
--"Full Text of Sino-Soviet Joint Communiqué," Xinhua News Agency, 19 May 1991; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

9 July 1991
China and Iran issue a joint statement during Chinese Premier Li Peng's visit to Tehran. Along with Iranian leaders, Ayatollah Khameini and President Rafsanjani, both sides declare that they oppose the use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and call for a "just, logical, comprehensive and balanced" arms control.
--"China, Iran Call for Weapons Destruction after Li Visit," Japan Economic Newswire, 9 July 1991; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

25 September 1991
At the 46th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen states that no country should seek armaments in excess of its reasonable defense requirements. He reiterates China's support for a Middle East free of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, stating that arms control in the Middle East is linked directly to the regional peace process. He reconfirms China's support for the complete prohibition and through destruction of all weapons of mass destruction.
--"China Calls for Reasonable, Effective Arms Control," Xinhua News Agency, 25 September 1991; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Explanation by the Government of the PRC on its Observance of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction," Working Paper, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Third Review Conference 1991, BTWC/CONF.III/3/Add.1.

25 September 1991
In a working paper presented to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Review Conference, China states that it "has never developed, produced, stockpiled or otherwise acquired or retained biological agents, toxins, or weapons equipment or means of delivery for them."
--"China Calls for Reasonable, Effective Arms Control," Xinhua News Agency, 25 September 1991; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Explanation by the Government of the PRC on its Observance of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction," Working Paper, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention 3rd Review Conference 1991, BTWC/CONF.III/3/Add.1.

16 December 1991
During a visit to India, Chinese Premier Li Peng signs a joint communiqué with Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, in which both sides agree that "efforts should be made to check the arms race and realize effective disarmament. The current process of disarmament should lead to the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of all weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons."
--"Full Text of Sino-Indian Joint Communiqué," Xinhua News Agency, 16 December 1991; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

30 May 1992
Officials from China attend a two-day meeting in Washington, D.C. along with representatives from France, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. At the meeting, the five nuclear states commit to not transfer nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, ballistic missiles, or relevant technology to non-nuclear states.
--"Big 5 Agree to Halt Spread of Mass-destruction Weapons," Japan Economic Newswire, 30 May 1992; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

23 October 1992
During his visit to China, Japanese Emperor Akihito expresses his deep regret for Japanese war crimes committed against the Chinese during World War II. He states, "There was an unfortunate period, in which my country inflicted great suffering on the people of China. I deeply deplore this."
--Masanori Kikuta, "Emperor Regrets Military Past, Avoids Open Apology," Kyodo News Service, 23 October 1992; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

24-25 February 1993
On February 24, U.S. intelligence officials state it is highly probable that China has an active and expanding offensive germ weapons program, following speculation that two civilian-run biological research centers are actually controlled by the Chinese military. According to one intelligence official, the White House "was concerned about the foreign policy sensitivity of revealing this information" during congressional debates regarding U.S.-China relations and renewing most-favored-nation trade status to China. While testifying before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on 25 February, CIA Director James Woolsey confirms the possibility of an offensive biological weapons program in China, but declines to comment any further in public.
--R. Jeffrey Smith, "China May Have Revived Germ Weapons Program, U.S. Officials Say," Washington Post, 24 February 1993; "Peking May Have Biological Weapons Program: CIA Chief," Central News Agency, Taiwan, 14 October 1993; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

4 March 1993
Beijing denies U.S. government claims in the Washington Post on 24 February 1993 that stated the country has an active biological weapons program. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Beijing calls the report "groundless."
--Rajiv Chandra, "China: Beijing Denies it has Revived Germ Warfare Program," IPS-Inter Press Service, 4 March 1993; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

22 September 1994
Hou Zhitong, head of the Chinese delegation to the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological Weapons, expresses China's support for a ban on biological weapons. At the special conference of the states party to the Conference, he declares that "China is devoted to the strengthening of the universality and effectiveness of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and is in favor of adopting appropriate measures to achieve this purpose." Hou also expresses China's support for trade and transfer of technology in peaceful uses of biotechnology.
--"Official Stresses Compliance with Biological Weapons Ban," Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, 22 September 1994; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

November 1994
A World War II Japanese germ warfare laboratory is discovered in Guangdong Province.
--"Germ Warfare Lab Found in South China," United Press International, 23 November 1994; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

29 December 1994
Mainland China's media discloses the existence of a biological defense facility in northern China. The unit, controlled by the People's Liberation Army, is named the "Military Medical Research Institute of the Beijing Military Region." It has over 20 research personnel, and over the past decade has completed 61 research projects. Fu Genming, head of the unit, states, "The PLA does not have an offensive 'biological warfare unit' or 'bacteriological warfare unit.' But it does have an anti-biological warfare unit. All of our research is open to the whole world."
--"'Ming Pao' Profiles Beijing's Profit-Making Anti-Biological Warfare Unit," BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, Part 3 Asia-Pacific, China, Internal Affairs, FE/2188/G, 29 December 1994; in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

	Updated November 2005