New evidence unveiled to confirm crimes of Japanese germ-warfare unit in World War II

A total of 177 pages of Japanese military personnel registration forms detailing their work in Unit 731, a Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II, were made public in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Saturday.

The forms contain the personal information of 140 members of the unit, including doctors, lieutenants, medics, military employees and others, who belonged to the Linkou Division, the biggest of the four divisions set up by Unit 731 on December 2, 1940. It is also known as the 162nd Manchurian Unit.

The documents released this time also provide evidence regarding the 162nd Manchurian Unit that supported Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments. The personal files of Sergeant Shigeru Ueno from this branch shows: In April 1945, he completed "rat-catching operations" in places like Jiamusi.

According to Jin Shicheng, a researcher with the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, the documents show that the work of these people covered bacterial experiments and production, laboratory-animal feeding, education and training, health and epidemic prevention, and so on.

"The rat-catching operations recorded in the personal files can be mutually confirmed and mutually corroborated with previous oral testimonies and oral historical materials. Once again, these historical records confirm that 162nd Manchurian Unit collaborated with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments and producing plague bacteriological weapons," Jin said.

The forms also show the existence of links between Unit 731 and other units. For instance, some soldiers were recruited under the names of other units, and were transferred to the Linkou Division after receiving three months of training in Unit 731.

Out of the 140 members of the Linkou Division, 84 were recruited in the name of infantry as a disguise for its war crimes.

Unit 731 was created by the Japanese Kwantung Army, which invaded northeastern China in the first half of the 20th century.

Researchers said that these archives are currently the most crucial documents known for studying the Linkou 162nd Manchurian Unit, providing key evidence for understanding the composition of its personnel and their post-war activities.

It is significant for comprehensive and accurate exposure of the crimes committed by the Japanese Kwantung Army in biological warfare. It further reaffirms that Unit 731's human experiments and bacteriological warfare were not isolated incidents but part of a systematic, organized national crime orchestrated from the top levels of Japan.

Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin in 1935 as the nerve center of Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during World War II. At least 3,000 people were used for human experimentation by Unit 731 and more than 300,000 people across China were killed by Japan's biological weapons.

New evidence unveiled to confirm crimes of Japanese germ-warfare unit in World War II

Long-standing challenges in Mexico's automotive industry have been exacerbated with the implementation of the U.S. tariff on imported cars, which took effect Thursday, fueling uncertainty and job losses.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported automobiles.

Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico's largest trade ports and a key manufacturing hub, is now facing even greater challenges as rising trade protectionism deepens existing pressures.

At a medal parts manufacturing factory that has been in operation for over 30 years, the workforce has drastically reduced from 60 workers to just 25 due to uncertainty about the future.

Even before the U.S. tariffs on imported cars took effect, mounting pressure had already begun to ripple through the industry, prompting many companies to suspend investment and procurement plans.

"Some 95 percent of the products exported from Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is located, are industrial manufactured goods. We have held multiple meetings to discuss solutions. In fact, over the past year and a half, more than 55,000 factory workers here in the city have lost their jobs," said the owner of the factory.

The automotive industry is a key pillar of Mexico's economy, generating nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars in output. The auto parts assembly industry alone provides over 900,000 jobs for the country, while automotive assembly companies create 175,000 jobs.

According to statistics from the Mexican Association of Automotive Dealers (AMDA), over 40 percent of the components used by American auto manufacturers are imported from Mexico. Last year, Mexico produced four million cars, approximately three million of which were exported to the U.S.

Industry insiders indicate that due to the high degree of interdependence in the sector between the U.S. and Mexico, along with a shortage of skilled labor, the U.S. goal of bringing automotive manufacturing back to its shores through tariffs is unlikely to be realized in the short term.

Moreover, the established industrial chain in Mexico faces the risk of being disrupted, which will ultimately have repercussions on consumer spending and further exacerbate inflation in the long run.

"Young people from the U.S. are no longer willing to work in the manufacturing sector. I believe there will be no growth in the relocation of automotive parts and vehicles factories in the short term," said Guillermo Rosales Zarate, ADMA's executive president.

"Personally, I hope this avalanche of tariffs doesn't continue; otherwise, it will lead to more significant issues affecting the U.S. economy. If these tariffs remain in place long-term, it will be the American people who suffer the most," said Ricardo Ramos, a professor with the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.

U.S. automotive tariffs deepen industry pressures, halt investments in Mexico