The government must make public information on how it will dismantle poison gas weapons abandoned in China at the end of the war, a citizens' group holding exhibitions on Japan's wartime development and use of poison gas demanded April 28.
A landmark convention banning the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, takes effect April 29. Japan has ratified the treaty and is now obligated to dismantle all its unused poison gas shells left behind in China within the next 10 years. The number of such shells is estimated by the Japanese government to be 700,000, while the Chinese estimate stands at 2 million.
A joint working group set up by the two governments met in Beijing earlier this month to discuss the disposal procedures and schedule. The group has agreed on construction of a weapons-dismantling plant in Jilin Province, with operations scheduled to begin by next spring. However, Beijing has expressed concerns about its safety and environmental impact.