China urges Japan to accelerate the destruction of chemical weapons secretly buried or abandoned by Japanese aggressor troops on the eve of their defeat in 1945 during World War II, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China and Japan on the Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons (ACWs), but the destruction process is far lagging behind the time limit set by the two sides.
"Japan's abandonment of chemical weapons in China is one of the heinous crimes committed by the Japanese militarists during Japan's war of aggression against China. To date, they are still threatening the safety of Chinese people's lives, property and the ecological environment in China," Lin said at a press conference in Beijing.
Lin said China has been pressing Japan to destroy the abandoned chemical weapons as soon as possible in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC) and the MoU signed in 1999. "Japan has already excavated and recovered about 130,000 pieces of Japanese ACWs and destroyed nearly 100,000 of them. But due to Japans' insufficient and unbalanced involvement, the overall destruction pace of Japanese ACWs has seriously lagged behind and missed the deadlines for the destruction four times. It has been severely hampered and disrupted as some key and difficult problems have yet to be resolved," Lin said.
"To remove the hazardous ACWs is Japan's unshirkable historical, political and legal responsibility. China strongly urges Japan to take China's concerns serious, earnestly fulfill its obligations, increase input on all fronts, speed up the destruction process of Japanese ACWs and fully and faithfully implement the destruction plan in its entirety so as to return a clean land to the Chinese people at an early date," he said.
China urges Japan to speed up destruction of abandoned chemical weapons
Festive receptions were held by Chinese embassies to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, with the promotional video for the 2025 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala unveiled to add festive atmosphere to the events.
The Spring Festival centers around the Chinese New Year, which lands on Jan. 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
The Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan hosted a Spring Festival reception on Jan. 20 for overseas Chinese in Tajikistan. Nearly 300 people, including representatives of overseas Chinese groups such as the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Tajikistan, the Federation of Overseas Chinese, teachers and students from the local Confucius Institute, and international students in Tajikistan, gathered to celebrate the coming of the Year of the Snake.
In his speech delivered at the reception, China's Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin said that China's high-quality development and high-level opening-up have injected certainty and stability into a turbulent and changing world. China-Tajikistan cooperation in various fields has been promoted across the board, and the development of bilateral relations has reached a new level. Looking forward to 2025, China-Tajikistan relations will shine with new vitality and bring more benefits to the people of both countries, said the ambassador.
The promotional video for the 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala was played in a loop at the reception. By watching the video, guests felt the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival and the unique charm of Chinese traditional culture.
At the reception, overseas Chinese in Tajikistan performed a variety of cultural programs created by themselves. The joyous lion dance, the melodious guzheng performance, and the passionate Tajik eagle dance added a great deal to the festive atmosphere.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, the Federation of Philippine-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Philippine-Chinese Associations, and the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce jointly held a Spring Festival reception on Jan. 19. More than 1,000 people from the Philippine government, Congress, overseas Chinese, people from all walks of life, and foreign diplomatic envoys to the Philippines gathered to celebrate the festival.
Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, extended New Year greetings to people from all walks of life in China and the Philippines, saying that the Spring Festival is a common festival for the people of many countries, including China and the Philippines, and has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO. He said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, and he hopes that both countries will cherish and maintain the bilateral relations for greater benefits to the people of the two countries.
Philippine Vice President Sara Z. Duterte and Louise Araneta-Marcos, wife of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., extended new year greetings via video link. Duterte said that the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China is of great significance, and she looks forward to the two countries working together to create a harmonious and prosperous future. Marcos said that the Philippines-China relations have been developing continuously for decades, which truly reflects the long-term friendly relations between the people of the two countries.
The promotional video for the 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala was played at the reception. The festive atmosphere and gorgeous stage design attracted the attention of all the guests present.
Chinese embassies hold receptions to celebrate upcoming Spring Festival