China demands Japan accelerate destruction of abandoned chemical weapons

China demanded Japan accelerate the destruction of chemical weapons abandoned in China during World War II following a destruction operation that ended in Central Hubei Province on Monday.

A total of 264 chemical weapons have been destroyed in Wuhan, Hubei Province since December 2014. These weapons were left in the provinces of Hubei, Hunan and Henan following World War II, according to a press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The operation was safe, orderly and successful and eliminated the threat and damage to people, property and the environment, the press release said.

"China urges Japan to increase its human and financial contribution to the destruction of weapons and achieve thorough destruction of those weapons at an early date," it said.

Japan abandoned at least two million tonnes of chemical weapons at about 40 sites in 15 Chinese provinces at the end of World War II, most of them in the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

Abandoning these weapons was one of many crimes during Japan's invasion of China. In accordance with the Convention on the Banning of Chemical Weapons and the memorandum on the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons signed by China and Japan in 1999, Japan will offer all necessary funds, technology, expertise and facilities, and China will provide assistance.