China tells consulates to keep quiet on air quality
By Dong Zhen |
June 6, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China yesterday called on foreign consular operations to stop releasing their own air quality readings.
Only the Chinese government is authorized to monitor and publish air quality information and data from other sources may not be standardized or rigorous, Wu Xiaoqing, a vice environmental minister, told reporters.
The US Embassy in Beijing and the US consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou currently release PM2.5 readings on an hourly basis.
PM2.5 particles are a risk to health because they are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
Wu said: "Some foreign embassies and consulates in China are monitoring air quality and publishing the results themselves. It is not in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and it is also against relevant environmental protection regulations."
He added: "Foreign consular members are obliged to obey local regulations and cannot intervene in another country's internal affairs."
Later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a press briefing: "Of course, if the foreign embassies want to collect air quality information for their own staff or diplomats, I think that is their own affair, but we believe that this type of information should not be released to the public."
The sometimes sharp differences in air quality readings released by Chinese urban environmental watchdogs and those from the US consular authorities have stirred great debate among China's increasingly pollution-aware public.
Sharp variances
The US consular practice attracted public attention last year when Beijing was troubled by serious smog. The sharp variances in air quality reports released by the Beijing environmental watchdog and by the American Embassy spurred heated discussion.
The air quality yesterday in Shanghai reported by the government environmental authority was "good," similar to the "moderate" to "good" levels released by the US Consulate in the city.
But there was controversy on May 14, for example, when the local watchdog said the air quality in Shanghai was "good," while the US Consulate rated it "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
Wu said: "People may have noticed that the official PM2.5 readings released by Beijing and Shanghai watchdogs are basically the same as those released by some consular operations. However, the interpretations of air quality are sharply different.
"It's because they use the air quality standards of their own countries to evaluate air conditions here. That's obviously unreasonable."
In a statement, the US Consulate in Shanghai said yesterday it has installed an air quality monitor to measure the PM2.5 concentration as an indicator of overall air quality in the air surrounding its Huaihai Road M offices.
The monitor is a resource for the health of the consulate community, but is also available online for American citizens who may find the data useful, the statement said.
It went on: "We caution, however, that citywide analysis of air quality cannot be done using readings from a single machine."
The air quality monitors have been operating in the US consular facilities in Beijing and Guangzhou since 2008 and 2011 respectively while the consulate in Shanghai launched the service early last month.
Last night, the US air quality results were still available online.
Only the Chinese government is authorized to monitor and publish air quality information and data from other sources may not be standardized or rigorous, Wu Xiaoqing, a vice environmental minister, told reporters.
The US Embassy in Beijing and the US consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou currently release PM2.5 readings on an hourly basis.
PM2.5 particles are a risk to health because they are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
Wu said: "Some foreign embassies and consulates in China are monitoring air quality and publishing the results themselves. It is not in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and it is also against relevant environmental protection regulations."
He added: "Foreign consular members are obliged to obey local regulations and cannot intervene in another country's internal affairs."
Later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a press briefing: "Of course, if the foreign embassies want to collect air quality information for their own staff or diplomats, I think that is their own affair, but we believe that this type of information should not be released to the public."
The sometimes sharp differences in air quality readings released by Chinese urban environmental watchdogs and those from the US consular authorities have stirred great debate among China's increasingly pollution-aware public.
Sharp variances
The US consular practice attracted public attention last year when Beijing was troubled by serious smog. The sharp variances in air quality reports released by the Beijing environmental watchdog and by the American Embassy spurred heated discussion.
The air quality yesterday in Shanghai reported by the government environmental authority was "good," similar to the "moderate" to "good" levels released by the US Consulate in the city.
But there was controversy on May 14, for example, when the local watchdog said the air quality in Shanghai was "good," while the US Consulate rated it "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
Wu said: "People may have noticed that the official PM2.5 readings released by Beijing and Shanghai watchdogs are basically the same as those released by some consular operations. However, the interpretations of air quality are sharply different.
"It's because they use the air quality standards of their own countries to evaluate air conditions here. That's obviously unreasonable."
In a statement, the US Consulate in Shanghai said yesterday it has installed an air quality monitor to measure the PM2.5 concentration as an indicator of overall air quality in the air surrounding its Huaihai Road M offices.
The monitor is a resource for the health of the consulate community, but is also available online for American citizens who may find the data useful, the statement said.
It went on: "We caution, however, that citywide analysis of air quality cannot be done using readings from a single machine."
The air quality monitors have been operating in the US consular facilities in Beijing and Guangzhou since 2008 and 2011 respectively while the consulate in Shanghai launched the service early last month.
Last night, the US air quality results were still available online.
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