The 187 models fail to meet national emission standards, which is in accordance with the Europe 1 emission standard.

Production of the carburetor-equipped cars and mini-vans must stop and newly-produced vehicles must abide by national emission standards, according to the circular.

The ban on the sale of these cars will start on September 1 and they will no longer be given registration, the circular said.

The State Environmental Protection Administration will co-operate with other relevant departments to help enforce the ban and enterprises that still produce and sell the vehicles will be punished.

Departments in charge will also take measures to closely watch the emission of imported carburetor-equipped cars.

Bans on other types of vehicles that do not meet national emission standards will be gradually phased in, according to Zhou Yangsheng with the pollution control department of the State Environmental Protection Administration.

The country decided in 1998 that from January 1 of last year, all sedan manufacturers should stop producing carburetor-equipped cars and turn to the production of cars with electric fuel-injection devices and catalytic converters which purify emissions.

Cars with these devices emit 70 to 80 per cent less pollutants than those with carburetors, according to Zhou.

However, at the end of last year, there were still nearly 100,000 cars that were not equipped with electric fuel-injection devices and catalytic converters.

The country has made continuous efforts to control vehicle emissions. Since the end of last year, more than 99 per cent of gasoline in China has been unleaded.

According to Zhou, the country will try to adopt the Europe 2 emission standard in 2004.

Last Saturday the State Council enacted regulations on the recycling of vehicles that fail to meet the emission standards.

(chinadaily.com.cn 06/29/2001)