China has imposed a ban on its airlines against paying carbon emission charges recently introduced in the European Union, according to China's official Xinhua news agency on Monday.

The new EU tax came into effect on January 1 and has been met by opposition from several countries, including the United States and Russia.

The Xinhau agency quoted China's Civil Aviation Administration as saying "China's airlines are not allowed to pay a charge on carbon emissions imposed by the Europe Union, and neither to hike freights nor to add other fees accordingly in absence of government permission."

Airlines that do not comply with the EU regulation could face fines or prohibitions at EU airports. In extreme cases, where non-compliance persists, airlines could be banned from EU airports.

mz/gw (AFP, Reuters)