China to introduce tougher vehicle emissions standards to help curb air pollution

China is to introduce new vehicle emission standards by the end of next year, state media reported.

Pei Xiaofei, an official at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said the government was now formulating its sixth set of standards, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Curbs on pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulates in vehicle exhausts will be 30 per cent tougher, Pei was quoted as saying.

A consultation exercise on the new standards will be completed by the middle of next year, the report said.

Pei said the adoption of China’s fifth set of emission standards was progressing well.

They are roughly equivalent to standards adopted in Europe in 2009, according to the report.