HONG KONG-Chinese police obtained arrest warrants for three Japanese executives who allegedly organized a wild sex party involving about 185 prostitutes and an equal number of tourists, sources said Wednesday.

The arrest warrants were issued as a Chinese court handed life sentences to two Chinese involved in the orgy at a five-star hotel in the southern city of Zhuhai in September. The orgy triggered outrage among Chinese because it coincided with the 72nd anniversary of a military attack that led to Japan's invasion of China.

Chinese police have asked their Japanese counterparts for cooperation in arresting the trio. However, Japan is unlikely to hand them over to China since no extradition treaty exists between the two countries, the sources said.

But Japanese police could question the three executives of a house-renovation company in Osaka and relay their replies to Chinese police, mainly because Chinese police have been assisting in an investigation into the slaying of a family of four in Fukuoka, Japanese police sources said. Two of the three suspects in that crime were arrested in China.

A Chinese government source, who asked not to be identified, said, ``The arrest warrants are just a kind of warning (to the Japanese).''

In light of the anger over the orgy, Chinese police must show the public that they want to punish the Japanese involved.

In fact, the Chinese police on Nov. 26 put the three executives on an international wanted list by reporting the case to the International Criminal Police Organization.

China has come down severely on the locals involved in the party.

Fourteen Chinese who helped to organize the event were sentenced Wednesday by the Zhuhai Intermediate People's Court in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

A former executive of the hotel where the orgy took place and a nightclub manager received life sentences. The other 12 were given prison terms ranging from two to 10 years.

According to the ruling, the three Japanese executives visited the Zhuhai International Conference Center Hotel in late August and asked the Chinese executive to gather about 500 prostitutes for an orgy in September as part of a company tour.

More than 280 employees of the company visited Zhuhai on Sept. 16 and many started the orgy the following day.

Local media reported the company paid about 290,000 yuan (about 3.8 million yen) to pay for the 185 prostitutes who took part.

The company has denied it organized a sex party in China. However, Chinese police said they have solid evidence that the three executives were involved in arranging the lewd event.

The orgy took place on the day before the 72nd anniversary of the so-called Liutiaohu Incident. On Sept. 18, 1931, the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Chinese troops, leading to the Manchurian Incident-Japan's invasion into the northeastern China.

Reports of the orgy dominated Chinese media coverage. The incident also fueled anti-Japanese sentiment in China, and the Chinese foreign ministry expressed its anger to the Japanese government.(IHT/Asahi: December 18,2003) (12/18)