BEIJING - Chai Haibo, Deputy Secretary of the China Air Transport Association, said on Monday that the directive issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Monday is a clear government expression of its opposition against the Emission Trading Scheme （ETS）.

"It is similar to the recent action taken by the United States, where a bill will be passed against the European law in the coming weeks," he said.

"Under the directive, mainland airlines are barred from complying with the EU's emissions trading scheme and using the scheme to increase fares or other passenger charges.

In January, the Association called on its member airlines to do the same. The directive shows that the government supports the Association and airlines now must abide by the order," he said.

"But China doesn't want to see the two sides end up in a conflict. We still hope that the EU could awaken to the fact of a global negative response to its scheme and make some responses, such as canceling or revising the scheme," he said.

"If the EU sticks to its idea, it is hard to predict what counter-measures the government will make", he added.

An official with the CAAC, who refused to be identified, said that the directive is not the end, but the beginning of a string of actions to be taken concerning the issue.