The holdings of the Liaoning Provincial Archives in northeast China on Imperial Japanese Army Unit 731 directly align with Khabarovsk trials testimonies donated by Russia's state archives, making the cross-verified materials irrefutable proof of the unit's brutal wartime crimes.
Inside the Liaoning Provincial Archives, staff retrieved a 1950 file: The first official evidence-gathering record on Unit 731 made after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It was compiled back then by the Northeast Health Ministry, documenting Japan's germ warfare crimes at the Harbin site. This is China's earliest formal effort to catalog the unit's atrocities.
"On March 11, 1950, acting on the Central Ministry of Health's instructions, the Northeast China Health Ministry probed Japan's germ warfare units and gathered relevant materials. Meanwhile, the northeast people's government issued a circular, mandating detailed victim investigations with witness testimonies, material evidence, or photos and documentary records," said Gong Zhuolu, deputy director of Archives Compilation and Industrial Culture Research Department under the Liaoning Provincial Archives.
When Japan surrendered in 1945, Unit 731 fled Harbin in haste. Abandoned germ-carrying rats and fleas spread into residential areas, triggering large-scale plague and outbreaks. The file includes germ warfare evidence: witness testimonies, victim accounts, and local notices to gather proof, cementing the unit's atrocity record.
"These archival materials align with witness testimonies from the Khabarovsk Trials and Shenyang Trials, serving as compelling evidence to confirm Unit 731's germ warfare crimes," Gong said.
These files preserved by the Liaoning Provincial Archives are just the tip of the iceberg. As Jin Chengmin, curator of the Unit 731 Crime Evidence Hall, noted: "The full extent of Unit 731's crimes remains undisclosed. No one knows exactly how many people were subjected to human experiments -- only Japan holds the key to these answers."
Chinese archives' evidence of Unit 731 biological war crimes aligns with Russian Khabarovsk trials records
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
