Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on Tuesday urged Japan to expedite the process of clearing chemical weapons left behind by Japanese forces at the end of World War II.

Japanese government officials confirmed on Monday that the poison gas accident in Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province last week was caused by chemical weapons left behind by Japanese forces at the end of World War II.

But Japanese media also quoted a Japanese Foreign Ministry official as blaming China for being slow to respond to Japanese efforts to speed up the disposal process.

"We've noticed relevant reports. China has lodged representations to the Japanese side and asked for clarification," Liu said.

He said the Chinese government always attaches great importance to the issue and has worked vigorously to accelerate the process.

"It is the Japanese side that should take more measures to push forward the process of destroying the chemical weapons," Liu added.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, abandoned chemical weapons were found in central, east and north China, especially in the northeast.

"Abandoning chemical weapons in China constituted a serious crime committed by the Japanese army during its aggression against China," Liu said, and the weapons still pose real threats to the lives and property of the Chinese people and the environmental security in neighboring areas.

Liu urged the Japanese government to strictly follow the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the memorandum on the destruction of chemical weapons reached between the two governments in 1993.

Still on Japan matters, Liu announced that China and Japan had agreed to establish a bilateral financial dialogue mechanism.

Following Finance Minister Jin Renqing's meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Tanigaki Sadakazu, in Tianjin last Saturday, Liu said: "The two sides expressed the hope that the first ministerial dialogue be held at the earliest possible time".

The meeting was a bid to implement Chinese President Hu Jintao's proposals on promoting Sino-Japanese ties, before the Sixth Asia-Europe Finance Ministers' Meeting (ASEM) held in the northern China port city of Tianjin on Sunday, Liu said.

The two ministers agreed that China and Japan are increasingly dependent on each other in economic globalization, Liu added.

Commenting on China's seizure of 15 textbooks bound for a Japanese school in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, Liu said it is legal.

On April 25, Dalian Customs temporarily seized128 textbooks sent from Japan to the Japanese school in Dalian. They found that different colors were used for Taiwan and Chinese mainland on maps in 15 geography books.

The one-China policy represents Chinese sovereignty and the feelings of the Chinese people, Liu said, noting that China is dealing with the textbook incident in accordance with the relevant laws.

Liu listed related laws the issue has violated, saying that the 15 geography books will be returned to Japan according to law.

Commenting on Japanese Emperor Akihito's visit to a Korean war memorial in Saipan on Tuesday, Liu said "We take note of related reports. The arrangement made by the Japanese side is presumed to be based on its correct understanding about history."

Emperor Akihito left for Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday to pay homage to those killed there in a bloody battle during World War II. It is reported that the emperor also made a surprise visit on Tuesday to a Korean war dead memorial.

About 1,000 Koreans were killed on Saipan Island and other neighboring islands during World War II.

Saipan, considered vital to Japan's homeland defense during World War II, witnessed fierce fighting from June 15 to July 9, 1944. More than 40,000 Japanese soldiers and 10,000 Japanese civilians on the island were killed, while about 5,000 US soldiers were killed in battle.

When asked about persons who illegally cross the border from the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) into China, Liu said: "They are not refugees, therefore the convention on refugees cannot be applied to them."

In other news, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, will be in China from August 29 to September 2 to attend the 13th Workshop on Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region. She comes at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

Liu said that China values the important role the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) plays in human rights protection and is positive about its cooperation with the UNOHCHR.

On the Iran-EU nuclear issue, China has always supported and kept a close eye on negotiations between the two sides, expressing the hope that they would reach a long-term solution to the issue soon, Liu said.

China appreciates the constructive attitude and diplomatic efforts made by the two sides, which serve the common interests of the international community, Liu added.

Separately on Tuesday, Li Hui, assistant to foreign minister, announced that Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks during Hu's visit to Russia from Thursday.

This is Hu's second official visit to Russia as president and he will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and leaders of the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation, Li added.

President Hu will visit the Novorsibirsk region to discuss enhanced cooperation with local leaders.

Hu's Russia visit is aimed at deepening political mutual trust, enhancing strategic coordination, promoting substantial cooperation and expanding regional and personnel exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, Li said.

After Russia, Hu will make a state visit to Kazakhstan and attend a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Kazak capital of Astana.

The SCO summit, which involves leaders of member countries China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, will focus on cooperation in economy, security, culture, external relations and international issues, Li said.

The SCO is an inter-governmental organization that was founded in Shanghai in 2001. It aims to enhance confidence building, promote regional cooperation and security, and cooperation in the creation of a new international political and economic order featuring democracy, justice and rationality.

President Hu will also attend  a G8 (Group of Eight) summit in Britain where he will elaborate on China's policy and measures on energy demand, and economic and social development. The main topics of the meeting will be the global economy and climate change, Li said.

The G8 comprises the world's seven leading industrial powers -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- and Russia.

The G8 Summit includes an Outreach Session that involves the G8, China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico.

Also on Tuesday, Shen Guofang, assistant foreign minister said that Premier Wen Jiabao will preside over the Second Greater Mekong Subregion Summit 2005 next Monday in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

He said the summit, held every three years, would focus on enhancing partnerships to realize common prosperity through the signing of several co-operative agreements in the fields of transportation, regional power, trade, the Internet and animal epidemics.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily June 29, 2005)