China will step up automobile emission inspections and build inspection agencies in all prefecture-level cities by 2012, according to the country's environmental watchdog.

Currently, there are a total of 1,206 inspection agencies at the state, provincial and prefecture levels across the country, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) on Monday.

However, a number of prefecture-level cities in 14 provinces still do not have inspection agencies, it read.

It also revealed other problems, including inadequate internal management and equipment maintenance in some inspection agencies.

In response, environmental protection authorities will make greater efforts to improve emission inspection facilities, boost personnel training and develop an Internet-based monitoring platform and database, said the statement.

Recent records indicate that the number of registered automobiles in China reached 219 million by the end of August.

According to the country's 12th Five-Year Plan on energy conservation and emission control for the 2011-2015 period, China will strive for a 10 percent drop in its oxynitride (or nitric oxide) emissions.

Statistics from the MEP, however, have shown disappointing performance for the first half of this year, during which oxynitride emissions rose by 6.17 percent year-on-year.