An illegal foreign meteorological survey announced by the China
Meteorological Administration (CMA) on November 16 has once again
drawn public attention to rising cases of foreign illegal
meteorological stations established in China. This is the fourth of
its kind since August of this year.
The latest case occurred in west China's Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region. On September 25, 2006, the meteorological bureau
of Yengisar County in Kashi detected that a branch of Xinjiang
Pacific Agricultural Resource Development Corporation - an
American-funded company - had set up automatic meteorological
monitors on its contracted farm. This unapproved observation had
started one year before.
According to germane clauses in the Meteorological Law and
Measures for the Administration of Foreign-related Meteorological
Sounding and Information, Kashi meteorological authorities
conducted an on the spot investigation on August 3, 2007. The
company was later fined 10,000 yuan (about US$1,352) and all the
illegally acquired data and monitoring equipment were
confiscated.
The company's other illegal monitoring station in Hetian,
Xinjiang was also removed on July 31, 2007 and the company was
fined another 10,000 yuan.
"There have been more than 20 cases of foreign illegal
meteorological surveys since 2000," Li Lijun, deputy director of
the regulation office under the policy and regulation department of
the CMA, told the International Herald Leader.
According to Li, China possesses abundant meteorological
phenomena varying from plateau climate to urban heat island effect.
That is why so many foreigners are interested in China's
meteorological information.
However, not all meteorological information is accessible.
"Information such as ordinary weather forecasts and data exchanged
with other countries is open to all. But there are rules regarding
the classification of information which cannot be revealed,"
stressed Li, adding that it is an international practice to protect
such information from draining abroad.
Inappropriate cooperation impairs national
interests
At an international conference held in Hong Kong last May, some
foreign scholars used China's meteorological data to buttress their
opinions in their published theses. They attacked China's
environmental problems based on the information and data claimed to
have been acquired via cooperative programs with China's
universities.
As an attendee of the conference, Zhou Lingxi, an expert on
greenhouse gases and also a research fellow from the Chinese
Academy of Meteorological Sciences, noticed that some foreign
scholars were misled by that information. They amplified China's
environmental problems to draw more attention to their research,
heedless to the fact that data and information collected in
polluted areas doesn't represent the norm in China.
The investigation launched by China's meteorological authorities
indicated that those scholars had also violated agreements to
publish unilaterally and their survey data and monitoring
operations were conducted without official approval.
Foreign institutions or individuals have established monitoring
stations in China to obtain primary meteorological data. The
interlinked stations could knit an information web that may
threaten national security.
In 2005, a woman of Chinese origin set up 39 unauthorized
monitoring stations in Shanghai. The Japanese government subsidized
her. She collected meteorological data covering humidity and
temperature from April to August 2005. The monitoring area covered
most parts of Shanghai, including some sensitive military
units.
On January 16, 2007, the meteorological bureau of the
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan
Province received a report that an illegal monitoring station had
been established near the Mengsong Village under its
jurisdiction.
An investigation determined that the monitoring station belonged
to a research program co-launched by the Kunming Institute of
Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the East West Center
of the University of Hawaii. The program started in 2004 and
planned to do research on land use and biodiversity amid climate
change. Xishuangbanna is home to a wide variety of animals and
plants and conducting a research program there could provide
constructive suggestions for the development of local agricultural
and environmental protection.
However, the unauthorized monitoring has violated Measures for
the Administration of Foreign-related Meteorological Sounding and
Information that took effect in the beginning of this year.
"We must abide by the regulations," said Qian Jie, the leading
Chinese researcher. "The illegal facilities have been removed and
all the data has been confiscated."
Thanks to its special geographical location and various
meteorological resources, Yunnan has always been of interest to
many foreign institutes. Chinese researchers should bear in mind
the political issues behind international cooperation, stressed by
a regulation and policy official from the Yunan Meteorological
Bureau. Research programs launched near military bases or borders
will probably exert pressure on national security and environmental
exchange.
Meteorological authorities must approve all foreign-related
meteorological monitoring activities. Regulations stipulate the
number of monitoring stations, their distance apart from each
other, monitoring times and how information may be used, stressed
the official.
Observe the regulations during research
activities
The Meteorological Law and Measures for the Administration of
Foreign-related Meteorological Sounding and Information went into
effect in 2000 and 2007 respectively. The law provides a list of
penalty guidelines for illegal surveying.
"Some Chinese researchers are not familiar with the rules,"
noted Li Lijun. "Some even hadn't heard about it until we contacted
them regarding an investigation. It's necessary to publicize our
rules among researchers and scholars."
In the Shanghai case mentioned above, the woman claimed she was
not aware of the rules.
In early September of this year, a Norwegian researcher, in
cooperation with Tibet University, planned to conduct solar
ultraviolet research in Tibet. But after being informed of China's
meteorological regulations he agreed to follow them.
Illegal survey and Olympics
With the approaching of Beijing Olympics, foreign illegal
meteorological surveys have emerged in several Olympic cities.
Three cases involving the USA, the UK and Australia have been
reported since last year. Foreign violators installed illegal
monitoring equipments under the auspices of pre-match
preparation.
In order to curb these kinds of violations, the CMA has issued a
notice in August of this year, stressing that local meteorological
authorities in Olympic cities should strengthen their supervision
of Olympic venues and crack down on illegal meteorological
surveying.
(China.org.cn by Huang Shan December 8, 2007)
