The Zhan Changlin Poisoning Case at the Japanese Consulate

In 1939, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Zhan Changlin, a Chinese waiter secretly working for the Kuomintang's military intelligence (Juntong), poisoned a banquet at the Japanese Consulate in Nanjing. He laced the wine with toxin, targeting high-ranking Japanese military and diplomatic officials. Several attendees fell gravely ill, with unconfirmed deaths, including possibly the consul general. Zhan escaped to Chongqing with his family and was celebrated as a patriot. The operation exposed the reach of Chinese resistance within occupied territory and highlighted personal bravery against the Japanese occupation apparatus.

No formal legal trial occurred; Zhan Changlin evaded capture, fled to the wartime capital Chongqing, and was rewarded by the Nationalist government for his service.

Debates over the legality of poisoning as a method of warfare; the moral justification of targeting diplomatic personnel; and the impact of individual acts of resistance on the broader war effort.

The act significantly boosted Chinese morale, demonstrated the vulnerability of the Japanese occupation forces, and became a celebrated, though controversial, episode of individual heroism in wartime history.