[Exclusive] Joint Research on Fine Dust Only in Words? ... Lost Leadership to China

Korean and Chinese Environmental Scientists Met in Beijing Late Last Month
Discussed 'How to Proceed with Research'
China Responsible for Planning, Results Compilation, and Measurement Sensors
Korean Researchers Have No Local Laboratory

It has been confirmed that the key stages of the Korea-China joint research on fine dust are mostly conducted under China's leadership. China prepared the research implementation plan and also took charge of organizing existing research results and establishing future plans. The sensors used for measuring fine dust are also Chinese devices. Although Korea and China promoted their joint efforts to tackle fine dust, it has been found that Korea has not secured local experimental space. As China seizes the research leadership, concerns are being raised about the fairness and transparent disclosure of the research results.

Planning, Results Organization, and Measurement Sensors All 'Handled by China'

According to a report compiled by Asia Economy on the 7th, 10 Korean environmental experts, including Won Kyung-ha, head of the Korea-China Environmental Cooperation Center, from the National Institute of Environmental Research, Korea Environment Institute, and Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, visited Beijing, China on the 26th of last month to hold working-level consultations on the 'Cheongcheon (晴天) Plan.' On the Chinese side, 14 scholars attended, including Zhou Jun, Section Chief of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, members from the Belt and Road Green Development International Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology Evaluation Center, and Nankai University Research Center.

The Cheongcheon Plan, meaning 'Clear Sky,' is a project that unifies Korea and China's fine dust cooperation projects into one. It was established to jointly respond to air pollution and climate change, with an agreement between the two countries in February 2019. The plan is broadly composed of three parts: air policy and technology exchange, technology commercialization, and joint research. Among these, the joint research attracted great expectations as it involves both countries examining China's air pollution, which is the cause of domestic fine dust in Korea.

However, it has been revealed that most of the key stages of the joint research are led by China. According to the working-level consultation between the two countries, the joint research on yellow dust is based on a detailed research implementation plan prepared by China. This means that China performs the initial work that greatly influences the research topics and directions. China is also responsible for the sensors and measurements used to assess air quality pollution. Korea is expected to receive the research results. China also plans to organize and share the existing research outcomes and future plans.

On November 4, 2019, Cho Myung-rae, then Minister of Environment (left), and Li Ganjie, then Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, held the "1st Korea-China High-Level Environmental Policy Consultation" at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, where they signed the implementation plan for the "Cheongcheon (Clear Sky) Plan" and shook hands. Photo by Ministry of Environment

Although the research is China-centered, Korea plans to participate as a co-author. Currently, Korean and Chinese researchers are investigating academic journals that allow joint first authorship. Once a suitable journal is selected, they have agreed to proceed with submission. When joint papers are needed in the future, each country will submit their own data independently, and data from both countries will be coordinated in advance. Based on this, the two countries decided to hold a joint research workshop in Qingdao, China, on the 25th of next month.

Although most experiments are expected to be conducted in China, the Korean side has not secured proper research space locally. There is a Korean researcher dispatched to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but there is no space for experiments for staff of the Korea-China Cooperation Center. Korean officials reportedly requested that if dispatch to the Chinese Academy of Sciences becomes possible with the expansion of the Cheongcheon Plan, they be provided with research space within a comprehensive laboratory.

China Claims No Impact on Korean Fine Dust... Concerns Over 'Fairness'

Related officials maintain that there is no problem. A key official who attended the business trip said, "Since China proposed the joint research, they agreed to prepare the plan in China," adding, "We will also review it and discuss necessary parts together." The official explained, "Many of the sensors used for measurement, such as drones, are developed and owned by China, and Korea finds it inconvenient to use them, so China decided to lead the process." He added that there are fields led by Korea, such as 'modeling' that analyzes the reduction effects of each country's policies.

Zhao Lijian, then spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The photo shows him holding a regular briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Beijing on February 24, 2020. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The key issue is how accurately China analyzes and evaluates its impact on fine dust generation in Korea. China has consistently maintained that its influence on Korean air quality is minimal. When the worst yellow dust in a decade hit Korea and China in 2021, Zhao Lijian, then spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, argued that "environmental and air issues have no borders." Regarding the Korean media's use of the term 'China-origin yellow dust,' he said the source was Mongolia and urged to "refrain from unnecessary media play." During the fine dust episode in winter 2022, Chinese Communist Party-affiliated media stated that the expression 'China-origin smog' overlooks Korea's need to address its own fine dust problems.

As a result, there have been cases where China disputed scientifically conducted research or even insisted on not disclosing it. A representative example is the 2016 joint research between the National Institute of Environmental Research and NASA. The Korea-US research team revealed that about half of Korea's ultrafine dust came from abroad, with many originating from China. Nevertheless, China strongly opposed the investigation, claiming it was unreliable. In 2018, Korea, China, and Japan attempted joint research, but China opposed releasing it, demanding the removal of several contents before the deadline. The summary report of the Korea-China-Japan joint research was only released in 2019, analyzing that China's air pollutants accounted for an average of 32% of the impact on Korea.

On March 22 last year, Beijing's Central Business District in China was shrouded in a haze of yellow dust.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is uncertain whether this research report will be disclosed to the public. China has not yet completed internal reporting for the report's release. If China refuses to disclose it until the end, Korea has no clear countermeasures. Korean researchers have only suggested renegotiating if China's reporting is delayed.

The government also voices concerns about the China-centered research progress and disclosure. An official from the Ministry of Environment acknowledged, "Since the research is conducted on Chinese soil, China's role is inevitably significant." He added, "China has its own considerations, and research and reality may differ," and "There is a possibility that China might refuse to acknowledge the results."