Zhang Lijun, vice director of China's State Environmental
Protection Administration (SEPA), met on Monday
night with the Russian Delegation of Khabarovsk Environmental
Protection Bureau to discuss how they would deal with the pollution
of the Songhua River that runs between the two countries.
The Songhua River becomes the Heilongjiang River, which runs
along the border between China and Russia.
The meeting focused on the impact that the polluted Songhua
River will have on the Heilongjiang River, and how China and Russia
could cooperate to monitor and test the water quality of the
river.
Zhang, once again, conveyed his apologies on behalf of the
Chinese government for the potentially negative impact that the
pollution will have on Russia.
Zhang presented the Russian delegation with detailed information
on the level of pollution, the type of pollutants involved, and the
density and location of the pollution belt.
V. V. Dardiuk, leading the Russian delegation, expressed his
gratitude for China's reports and discussed how Russia was planning
to deal with the situation.
He said Khabarovsk authorities have been cooperating for four
years with their Heilongjiang Province counterparts, monitoring and
testing the water quality. He believes that the problem can be
resolved through mutual efforts.
The delegation arrived in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang, on
Monday morning.
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2005)