Delegation of Leading Members of Japanese Friendship-with-China Organizations in

At the invitation of the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA), an 8-member delegation of leading members of the Japanese Friendship-with-China organizations paid a visit to China from February 19 to 24. The delegation went to Qiqihar to visit and express sympathy and solicitude to the victims of the chemical weapons left by the Japanese army during its war of aggression against China. In Beijing, State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan met with the delegation. The delegation, on behalf of the seven Japanese friendship-with-China organizations founded a “Fund for Helping the Victims of the Chemical Weapons Left by Japan”.

State Councillor Tang JiaxuanMeeting with the Delegation

On the morning of February 23, State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan met with the delegation in Zhongnanhai. Tang expressed his appreciation of the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations for their useful work to facilitate the solution of the problem of chemical weapons left in China by Japan and for their initiation of founding the Fund for Helping the Victims of the Chemical Weapons Left by Japan. Tang said, the problem of the chemical weapons left in China by Japan is a major issue left from history in the relations between China and Japan. These chemical weapons seriously threaten the lives of the Chinese people and ecological environment. He hoped that the Japanese Government would make greater efforts to earnestly fulfill its commitments set in the Memorandum on Destruction of the Chemical Weapons Left in China by Japan and accelerate the process of destruction. Tang also hoped that the Japanese friendly organizations would carry forward their fine tradition and make new contributions to the healthy and steady development of China-Japan relations.

Visiting Qiqihar and Harbin

On February 20, the delegation arrived in Qiqihar. That evening Lin Xiushan, mayor of Qiqihar, met with and entertained the delegation. Mayor Lin expressed his thanks to the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations for their care and sympathy with the victims of the “August 4” accident. Kyuhei Muraoka, director general of the Japan-China Friendship Association (JCFA) said that the purpose of the delegation’s visit to China was to express sympathy and solicitude for the victims of the August 4 accident that happened last year, and condolences to the family of Li Guizhen, the deceased in the accident. He said, the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations expressed their sincere regret over the accident, and hoped the problem of chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese aggressive army would be solved as early as possible so that people in the city could live in a peaceful and safe environment. He said that they would make a careful summary of the accident they got to know during their visit and publicize the truth of the accident to the Japanese people. The seven Japanese friendship-with-China organizations would make concerted efforts and do their utmost to urge the Japanese government to solve the problem of chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese army, added he. Muraoka handed Mayor Lin the money donated by the seven Japanese friendly organizations to the victims of the “August 4” accident.

On the morning of February 21, the delegation visited Wang Cheng and ten other victims of the “August 4” accident, and had an informal discussion with them. Guo Haizhou, adviser to the Municipal Government and leading official in charge of handling the accident, briefed the Japanese delegation about the whole course of the accident and relevant details. Guo said, during the accident 44 people got injured at different degrees. One of them died of serious injury, and up till now the rest 43 victims are still suffering from wounds and illness physically and mentally and are hard to restore their normal lives and work. A working staff of the Qiqihar Municipal Government showed the Japanese delegation photos of the victims’ injuries in the accident. The Japanese delegation asked the victims in detail about their injuries and recovery. Yoshio Nakata, director general of the Association for the Promotion of International Trade of Japan, said, the “August 4” accident is a very serious one. The seriousness and harm it has caused have gone beyond our imagination, which is most distressing. Many people in Japan do not know the whole truth of the accident. After the occurrence of the accident, the Japanese media have hardly reported it. This time we specially invited reporters of Japan’s two largest media the NHK and the Kyodo News Service to visit China together with us with the purpose of letting them know about the accident on the spot, and through various channels letting more Japanese people know the truth of the accident. He said, though the Japanese Government has, to some degree, taken relevant measures to deal with the accident, it is far from being enough. After returning home, for the purpose of maintaining Japan-China friendship, we will urge the Japanese Government to make greater efforts and take more effective measures to accelerate the destruction process. Tatsumi Murakami, director general of the Japan-China Friendship Centre, said, I was shocked at the happening and seriousness of the accident and learnt that the Japanese army had left many chemical weapons in China. In order to avoid similar accidents happening again, after returning home, we would try to find those who had participated in the war, hoping that based on their memory they would provide some relevant information and clues. Satoshi Nakano, director general of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, said, I was born after the war. To me, most important thing is to draw lessons from history, and pass these lessons to the younger generation. We hope that through the activities of our association, we will tell the true history to more people and let more people have a correct understanding of the history. Kyuhei Muraoka said, almost 60 years have passed since the war ended, and more than 30 years have passed since the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. But I feel greatly distressed when I see most of the victims are about 30 years old, and the evil seeds planted by the war 60 years ago have even injured the young people who were born at the time when the two countries normalized their relations. I deeply feel that the war has not yet ended. In order to avoid similar accidents happening again, we will from nongovernmental angle urge the Japanese Government to solve the problems left by the war as early as possible, and completely clear up the chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese army. He said that after returning to Beijing they would discuss with the CJFA to set up a fund to help the victims and do what they could to help the victims of the chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese army.

Niu Haiying, a victim of the accident, said that she welcomed and thanked the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations for visiting her and expressing sympathy for her, and that, however, the serious harm brought to them by the chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese army would not be unindelible. Another victim Chen Rongxi said, my daughter and I, to different degrees, were injured in the accident. As far as my family is concerned, members of two generations have been hurt. I hope that the Japanese Government would give a just explanation about it and remove all the chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese aggressive army as soon as possible so that our grand children will not suffer from such harms.

After the informal discussion, the delegation drove to see the spot where the “August 4” accident happened, and asked about the accident in detail.

On the afternoon of February 21, the delegation went to Harbin and paid an official call on Wang Donghua, deputy governor of Heilongjiang Province. Deputy Governor Wang expressed his thanks to the delegation for specially visiting Qiqihar and expressing their sympathy and solicitude for the victims of the “August 4” accident, and hoped that with the efforts of the Japanese friendly organizations the Japanese side would properly handle the problem of chemical weapons left in China by the Japanese aggressive army in accordance with the agreements singed between the two countries and relevant articles in the international conventions.

Setting Up the Fund for Helping Victims of Chemical Weapons Left in China by Japan

On February 22, the Japanese delegation decided to set up in Beijing the Fund for Helping the Victims of Chemical Weapons Left in China by Japan, which will be used through medical institutions to help the Chinese people who had been injured by the Japanese chemical weapons. On the afternoon of February 23, an inaugural ceremony of the Fund and a press conference were held in the CPAFFC. The Japanese delegation, Chen Haosu, president of the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, Chen Yongchang, CPAFFC vice president, attended the function. Kyuhei Muraoka, on behalf of the seven Japanese friendly organizations, gave an explanation of the founding of the Fund. He said, though the Fund is not much, it has profound significance. After retuning home, we will call on more friendly organizations and personages of various circles to donate money to replenish the Fund, and through the Fund let more Japanese people draw lessons from the war and have a correct understanding of history so as to safeguard peace and friendship between Japan and China and play a positive role in promoting healthy development of Japan-China relations. In his speech at the ceremony Chen Haosu expressed his admiration and appreciation of the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations for their just act. He said, it is a significant event that the delegation of leading members of the Japanese friendship-with-China organizations specially went to Qiqihar to visit and express sympathy for the victims of the “August 4” accident and set up the Fund for Helping the Victims of Chemical Weapons left by Japan. It shows that the cause of friendship between the peoples of China and Japan is moving ahead. Chen hoped that this visit would further promote the earliest solution of the problems left by history and play a positive role in safeguarding peace and friendship in the new century.

The founding of the Fund has attracted major Chinese and Japanese media’s attention. On the day when the ceremony was held more than 10 media sent reporters to the spot. The reporters of the Japanese NHK and the Kyodo News Service went along with the delegation to have interviews, and made timely reports on the Japanese TV news programme and newspapers. The CCTV and People’s Daily also made detailed reports on the delegations’ visit.