A Japanese diplomat said in Beijing yesterday that his country will hold talks with the Chinese government on compensation for people made ill by chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese troops in World War II.

　　Japanese ambassador to China Fumiyo Anami said that Japan was deeply sympathetic of the victims of chemical weapons stocks that were unearthed last week at a con-struction site in northern China.

　　Japan will allocate medical aid for the victims soon, he said.

　　On august 4, five metallic barrels were dug up at a construction site in Qiqihar City, in northeast Heilongjiang Province.

　　One of the barrels was accidentally broken, causing an oil-like substance to leak into the soil. The substance was later confirmed to be mustard gas.

　　The japanese government will send expert groups to China to deal with the issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan announced yesterday.

　　Kong said that the Japanese government has said it will send six metallic sealing experts this week to Qiqihar to seal up the barrels that were filled with mustard gas.

　　A group of seven medical experts will be sent to China to help cure the people poisoned by the gas, he said.

　　Kong said that China hopes the Japanese will quicken their pace in dealing with the issue in a respon-sible manner and solve the chemical weapons issue at an early date.

　　Japan admitted on Tuesday that the chemical weapons were left by its troops during World War II, saying it felt "extremely regretful."

　　As of last night, 39 people had been hospitalized in Qiqihar after being exposed to the mustard gas.

　　The latest victims, Chi Shuai and Bai Jianbo, were sent to the No 203 Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army yesterday.

　　They are both drivers for a local transportation company and were infected while hauling earth dug out from the construction site.

　　Among the inpatients, two are still in critical condition, eight are listed as serious, and the remaining 29 have stabilized. Five have made a remarkable recovery and are to be discharged in a few days, according to sources at the hospital.