'Unit 731' Toys Pulled From Chinese Platform After Backlash​

A toy model kit named "Unit 731 Poison Gas Laboratory" has been removed from a major Chinese shopping platform following widespread public criticism.

Marketed as an "educational building block set" promoting "patriotic emotional enlightenment" and "military history restoration," the product featured packaging labeled "Remember History" and was targeted at children aged 13 and above.

The real Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare unit established by Japan during World War II in Harbin's Pingfang District. It conducted brutal experiments on humans, leading to the deaths of at least 3,000 individuals through torture and exposure to pathogens.

According to the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731, Japan's biological weapons caused more than 300,000 deaths across China.

Priced at 29.9 yuan (US$4.2), the toy sparked immediate outrage for turning historical trauma into a game.

Sales data revealed the product had been viewed over 1,000 times in a week, with sales surging tenfold. It was even listed as a "best-selling new item" before being taken down amid media exposure and public pressure.

In a commentary published Saturday, Junzhengping – an official media account of the People's Liberation Army – said:

"While toys can address diverse themes, they must respect humanitarian principles and historical truth. Turning atrocities into an assemble-able 'lab' in the name of 'remembering history' is offensive and perpetuates a distorted view of the past."

The commentary urged merchants to pursue creativity with ethical and historical sensitivity and called on platforms and regulators to strengthen content review to "safeguard the seriousness of history."

The incident has renewed calls for stricter oversight of commercial products that exploit sensitive historical themes.