Archive · 19 Sep 2025
China's War Film on Unit 731 Raises Tensions with Japan
A new Chinese movie, 'Evil Unbound,' is showing the terrible things that happened during World War Two.
The movie is about a Japanese secret base called Unit 731, where they did experiments on people.
They tested germ weapons like anthrax and plague bombs, and sadly, no one survived.
The movie is trying to show what happened to the world and show how bad war can be.
It's causing some tension because it reminds people of a time that some in Japan don't like to talk about.
The movie is showing in China and will be in some other countries, but not in Japan.
The film 'Evil Unbound' depicts the Japanese Unit 731 and its germ warfare experiments during WWII.
Unit 731 conducted tests on around 3,000 prisoners from multiple countries.
The movie has set a first-day box office record in China.
The Japanese embassy issued a security advisory for Japanese nationals in China.
The film release is part of a larger effort by China to highlight Japan's wartime actions.
- Who
- China and Japan
- What
- A Chinese film depicting Japanese germ warfare experiments during WWII
- When
- Mid-1930s to 1945 (Unit 731 operations); Film released recently
- Where
- Northeastern China (Unit 731); Film's release in China, with plans for other countries
- Why
- China seeks to highlight Japan's wartime actions and lack of accountability
China's View
Japan's Potential View
Historical Accuracy
China's View
Emphasis on the film's role in promoting historical justice and exposing concealed truths.
Japan's Potential View
Acknowledging Unit 731's history but potentially contesting specific details or framing of events, given the Prime Minister's statement about lost verification evidence.
Diplomatic Relations
China's View
The movie highlights China's efforts to strengthen its voice on the global stage.
Japan's Potential View
Potential concern about the movie's impact on the already strained relationship between China and Japan.
- Movie Title
- Evil Unbound
- Theme
- Japanese wartime atrocities
- Focus
- Unit 731
- First-day box office
- 345 million yuan ($48.5 million)
- Estimated Victims (Unit 731)
- 3,000 (Chinese, Korean, Russian, Mongolian)