China not interested in monitoring US cities' air quality

The Chinese government has no interest in monitoring and releasing air-quality readings for US cities, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at the ministry's regular news conference on Wednesday. 

"Foreign embassies and consulates are not legally qualified to conduct environmental monitoring and release this sort of data in China, nor do they have the professional capacity and conditions to do so," Liu said. "

Conducting unauthorized monitoring and releasing environmental data from China does not conform to the relevant provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and also is in violation of China's laws and regulations on environmental monitoring.

"Therefore, we hope the embassies and consulates of the countries concerned will follow commonly recognized international norms, respect China's laws and regulations and stop these irresponsible activities."

That statement came in response to remarks made earlier on Wednesday by Mark Toner, spokesman for the US State Department, who said the US embassy will not cease releasing air-quality readings for Chinese cites and has no objection to the Chinese government releasing air-quality readings for US cities.

According to Phoenix TV, Toner said foreign embassies that release air-quality readings for Chinese cities are not contravening international conventions and violating Chinese internal regulations.

Wu Xiaoqing, vice-minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday morning that foreign embassies that release air-quality readings on the Internet do not conform to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and also violate Chinese regulations.