Li Guizhen, one of the victims of the incident that happened on August 4, 2003, in which Several Chinese citizens in northeast China were exposed to the mustard gas that leaked from the chemical weapons left by Japanese invaders, died on the night of August 21, after emergency treatments failed. On August 22, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi urgently summoned Koreshige Anamia, Japanese ambassador to China, and again lodged solemn representations to the Japanese government.

Wang said that after the leaking of chemical weapons left by Japan in Qiqihar, the Chinese government has held a highly responsible attitude towards its people’s lives and tried its utmost to save and treat the victims. Li Guizhen died from severe injuries, which aggravated the whole issue to an extremely painful degree. The Japanese government cannot shirk its responsibility for the serious consequence.

Wang said the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China have taken many Chinese people’s lives. Even today, 58 years after Japan’s military invasion of China, they are still threatening many Chinese people's lives. The Chinese people have every right to be indignant.

He stressed that the Chinese people's feelings and dignity should and must be safeguarded. China absolutely cannot allow such a tragedy to happen again, nor will it allow the situation where Japanese chemical weapons harm the Chinese people to continue. The Chinese side strongly demands the Japanese government faithfully implement the prescriptions in the Convention on the Banning of Chemical Weapons and relevant agreements reached by the two sides, and clear up the leftover chemical weapons with a responsible attitude. On the damages and losses of the victims and places concerned, Wang strongly urged Japanese government to take responsibility with concrete actions as soon as possible, and give needed answers to the victims and Chinese people.