Chinese authorities combat air quality issues

The Chinese government has announced that it will combat air quality problems by setting tougher rules on air monitoring of PM2.5.

The move has come in response to online environmental activists, which is surprising given China's strict control of the internet. The environmental legislation rules were agreed at an executive meeting of the state council presided over by the premier, Wen Jiabao.

News on China's pollution problems have been rife of late, and a new report released by the Washington Post adds to these miseries, finding that two-thirds of China’s cities currently fail to meet stricter air quality standards.

Environmental campaigners will be upbeat that the government has pledged to take action on this area of concern, and adequate monitoring of harmful pollutants is the first step to achieving these goals.

Mega-cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin, 27 provincial capitals, and three key industrial belts have all been told they must adopt new standards next year, and all but the smallest cities by 2015.

Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said: "This is a major step forward in terms of China's process to combat urban air pollution."

"The prerequisite for mobilising our people is to let them know what is going on."

Posted by Joseph Hutton