China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said in Beijing Tuesday it has handed over equipment to a visiting Russian delegation to help monitor the Songhua River pollution.

Zhang Lijun, vice minister of the SEPA, had a meeting with the Russian delegation in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Monday, and he informed the Russian side of the situation of pollution in the Songhua River. Chinese experts will be sent to Russia to help install the equipment.

Meanwhile, the SEPA has allocated 800,000 yuan (US$99,000) to provincial environmental departments for the same purpose.

A chemical plant in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, exploded on November 13, causing water pollution in the Songhua River, which goes downstream into the Heilong River along the Sino-Russian border.

Over the past two weeks, Chinese cities along the river have taken necessary measures to deal with possible pollution, while Russia has also showed great concerns over the issue.

After the water pollution incident occurred, China has repeatedly informed Russia of the details of the pollution incident, including various lab test results such as the pollutant's species and density and the location of polluted stretches.

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2005)