China's foreign ministry says it plans to work closely with Russian officials to minimize the effects of pollution from a toxic chemicals slick moving along a major river toward Russia.
Russian environmental officials report an increase in the level of cancer-causing benzene in the Amur River. But Russian authorities say it is not clear if it is from the Chinese chemical spill.
They say it could take several more days before the worst of the spill reaches Russian territory.
Meanwhile, a top United Nations official, Klaus Toepfer, told China's Xinhua news agency Thursday that Beijing will allow U.N. officials to inspect the effects of the spill.
An explosion at a Chinese factory two weeks ago released 100 tons of poisonous chemicals into the Songhua river. As they flow toward Russia, riverside cities are shutting down water systems to avoid contamination.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AFP.
