Qiqihar, China
Several dozen people in northeastern China were injured last week by mustard gas left by Japanese troops in World War II. Construction workers accidentally unearthed five drums of the gas, which leaked and gave some of the workers severe chemical burns. China didn’t report the incident until this week, though, when Japanese diplomats were in Beijing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the resumption of relations between the two countries. The timing suggests that China may have been trying to emphasize the atrocities of the Japanese invasion as part of its long-running effort to convince Japan to apologize formally.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floodsCartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate changeIn the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
