Global Security Newswire

Japan has begun to excavate chemical weapons it abandoned in the Jilin Province of China during World War II, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, May 9).

There was no immediate word on how many weapons were to be removed from the ground or how long the project would take.

Beijing estimates that Japan left behind 2 million tons of munitions containing chemical warfare materials at roughly 40 locations in 15 provinces. The majority of the weapons are believed to be in three provinces in northeast China (Xinhua News Agency, Dec. 13).