Brussels, 13/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Chinese have upped the ante somewhat in the thorny issue of the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Beijing has been examining what reprisals it will launch in response to European legislation, which intends to bring non-EU airlines into the EU's efforts to tackle climate change. Chinese reprisals may even include impounding European aircraft, if the EU penalises Chinese companies for not complying with the ETS directive. Secretary General of the Chinese Air Transport Association (ATAC) Wei Zhenzhong, speaking on the sidelines of an International Air Transport Association (IATA) meeting in Beijing, is quoted by Reuters, as warning that the Chinese government would take at least the same reprisal measures as those planned by the EU, namely fines or impounding aircraft. China is still as determined as ever not to play the game and Chinese companies will not provide any data on carbon emissions to the EU, although the deadline, which has already been extended, for submitting these data, expires this Friday. The Chinese Ministry of Finance has also set up a working group to establish a list of reprisals which will apply as soon as the first European sanction is introduced, reported the Financial Times on Tuesday, 12 June. (MD/transl.fl)