Further potential for injury and damage

Residents of Haerba-Ling, a small village close to a military base in the Haerba Mountains of Jilin province where chemical weapons discarded by Japanese forces are decommissioned and buried, expressed deep concern about the local environment and their livelihoods. With just 470 residents, it's one of the poorest villages in Dunhua city.

Zhang Jiaxiang, 50, said the base has three deep pits, with stairs made out of empty shell boxes leading to the bottom. "There are countless shells of different shapes and sizes. At first, there was just a board warning people not to enter, but nowadays barbed wire fences encircle the site, and soldiers are on guard 24 hours a day. They don't allow anyone to enter," he said.

Ma Changqing, the village accountant, said people are still worried about the discarded shells, but a new concern has emerged.