The Japanese government has set aside 100 million Japanese yen to deal with the August 4th gas poisoning accident in the city of Qiqihar in Northeast China.

The accident, which left one person dead and 43 injured, was caused by leakage from mustard gas canisters abandoned by the Japanese invading force at the end of World War II.

The money comes from Japan's annual budget for "abandoned chemical weapons processing fees" and the budget of its Foreign Ministry. Japanese press reports say part of the money is expected to be given to the victims as an "expression of concern" by the Japanese government. The rest will be given to local medical institutions and to pay for the victims' medical expenses and the clean-up efforts. The budget for this year's "abandoned chemical weapons processing fees" is 30.7 billion-yen.

(CCTV.com September 3, 2003)