CHINA AIR-POLLUTION AND JAPAN RESPONSE TO IT

Long-range transport of air pollutants has been a serious global envir onment problem. Japan's Central Research Institute of Electric Power I ndustry (CRIEPI) researchers ar investigating the possibility of acid rain from China. So far, the acid rain that has appeared in Japan has not has a significant effect. However, because of the high economic gr owth projected for the coming years in China, acidic fallout from that country is likely to cause serious damage there and in Japan as well. China is one of the largest coal users in the world. One of the bigge st factors making air quality worse is the lack of appropriate technol ogies. Although Japanese desulfurization technologies ar well advanced , they cannot be directly applied to stationary pollution sources in C hina, because of their cost. Japan has sophisticated technologies, but lacks experience in and knowledge of alternative, intermediate, and l ow-technology solutions. Given this, Japan may attempt to bey pollutio n control technology equipment from the United States, which provides a wider range of desulfurization technologies, as a a part of the Offi cial Development Assistance program. At the same time, international s upport that includes the establishment of additional global environmen tal monitoring stations in China are also necessary.