CHINA/FILE: China demands that foreign embassies stop issuing air pollution readings in Beijing, saying such information should only be released by 'competent authorities'

Record ID: 216967

  • Title: CHINA/FILE: China demands that foreign embassies stop issuing air pollution readings in Beijing, saying such information should only be released by 'competent authorities'
  • Date: 6th June 2012
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 5, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU WEIMIN WALKING INTO REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU WEIMIN SAYING: "In accordance with Chinese law, such information should be released by competent authorities. And th
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA44WCBVL90JO1NOK7I4K182V1U
  • Story Text: China demanded on Tuesday (June 5) that foreign embassies stop issuing air pollution readings, which should only be released by "competent authorities".
    The level of air pollution in China's capital Beijing varies, depending on the wind, but a cocktail of smokestack emissions, vehicle exhaust, dust and aerosols often blankets the city for days on end.
    Many residents dismiss the common official readings of "slight" pollution in Beijing as grossly under-stated.
    The U.S. embassy in Beijing has installed a monitoring point on its roof which releases hourly air-quality data via a widely followed Twitter feed.
    While China tightened air pollution monitoring standards in January, the official reading and the U.S. embassy reading can often be far apart.
    "In accordance with Chinese law, such information should be released by competent authorities. And the release of such information should be scientific and representative of a large area instead of some specific spots. This kind of information is not accurate and not the standard," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a regular news briefing.
    Liu's statement came after Deputy Environment Minister Wu Xiaoqing said earlier that day that such readings were illegal and should stop, though he did not directly name the United States.
    "We hope foreign diplomatic missions can respect China's laws and regulations, stop issuing such information, especially through the internet," Liu added.
    The U.S. embassy acknowledges on its website that its equipment cannot be relied upon for general monitoring, saying "citywide analysis cannot be done ... on data from a lone machine".
    A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Beijing told Reuters that the air quality monitors are "an unofficial resource" for making air quality data available to the American community in China.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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