Abandoned US-made weapons unearthed
By He Na (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-08 05:50

CHANGCHUN: More than 250 American artillery shells left over from World War II have been unearthed on a building site in Changchun.

Bomb disposal experts were called in to deal with the shells, some of which workers feared could explode at any moment.

The first 107 shells were discovered on October 20, by a construction team working on Fanrong Road in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province.

However, at almost the same time as the bombs were being destroyed this weekend, construction workers unearthed a further 150 shells at the same site.

Surprisingly well preserved after more than 50 years underground, experts said some of the second batch posed a real threat as their firing mechanisms were still in working order.

One shell was suspected of containing chemical agents and is under further investigation.

Experts say this shell, amongst hundreds of conventional US shells, may have been abandoned by Japanese forces. If this is confirmed, they will negotiate with the Japanese Government for a solution.

Experts with Jilin Military Command explained how the US-made weapons came to be left at the site.

They said the artillery shells were munitions belonging to the Kuomintang (KMT), which accepted military help from the US during the 1930s and 40s.

The shells may have been discarded as the army withdrew from the northeast before the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Construction workers have downed tools at the site, which is being guarded by the local police and army, according to an official surnamed Han from Changchun Public Security Bureau.

"So far no more shells buried along the Fanrong Road have been found.

"Construction work will be able to resume under the guidance of experts," Gui Guangli, deputy secretary-general of Changchun municipal government, said.

Changchun's history over the first half of the 20th century is chequered with visits from various military forces.

Japanese, Soviet Union and KMT forces all once called the town home.

According to local military authorities, the discovery of abandoned munitions in the area ties in with the city's varied military past.

(China Daily 11/08/2005 page3)