Monitoring stations freed of interference

China plans to make environmental monitoring stations independent to improve monitoring data, a move that facilitates policymakers' decisions and helps to efficiently reduce pollution, experts said on Monday.

All major monitoring stations for air, water, soil and offshore areas will be under the management of the central government, which will cut inference from local governments on data and assessments.

"Environmental monitoring is an important basis for scientific environmental management and decisions, and is important for assessing local governments' environmental protection," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.