China's environmental watchdog has finished the drafting of an auto emission standard equivalent to Euro III and is expected to adopt it nationwide in 2008.

Wang Jian, an official of the air pollution department of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), acknowledged that the draft was undergoing the final examination of an expert committee.

But he declined to disclose the date when it will be made public, but said the new standard will be adopted nationwide in 2008.  

Since China emerged as the fourth largest manufacturer and the third largest consumer of automobiles in 2003, auto emission has overrun industrial dust to become the number one urban air polluter. According to SEPA's estimate, it will account for 79 percent of urban air pollution in 2005.

Low quality gasoline deteriorates the situation caused by soaring numbers. Compared to that in Europe and the United States, it contains three to eight times more sulfur, a chemical producing sulfur dioxide and acid rain in turn after burning.

Last Thursday, China adopted an auto emission standard equivalent to Euro II, which requires a 30.4 percent cut of CO, a 55.8 cut of HC and NO from the Euro I currently applied in China.

(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2004)