Japan seeks cooperation with China on smog problem

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Foreign Ministry says it is seeking to cooperate and exchange information with China on the recent bout of severe smog in many Chinese cities.

The overture from Tokyo, announced Friday, reflects growing concern in Japan over the possible impact of the problem on its own pollution levels, which are generally much lower than China's.

In southern Japan's Fukuoka prefecture, extra monitors were set up to measure pollutants that might have spread from China.

Publicly released data so far has shown no correlation between the peaks in levels of harmful particulates in China and smog levels in Japan.

Many Japanese cities suffered from severe smog in earlier decades, during the country's industrial boom. But enforcement of fuel and clean air standards helped clear the skies.