Cool change on smog policy as Chinese officials warn of long fight ahead
Gone is the determined and optimistic tone of the past, with officials admitting that few gains have been made in clearing the air
Chinese officials are trying to scale back public expectations about the fight against air pollution, saying it will be a long and uphill battle.
In contrast to the determined and optimistic tone of the past, officials have admitted that few gains have been made in clearing the air.
The change in outlook comes as northern China breathed a little easier on the weekend. On Saturday night, a cold front from the north finally swept away smog that had hung over the region for eight days. That spell followed six continuous days of smog in mid-December.
The poor air quality reflects the failure of previous commitments to tackle pollution.
In 2014, as Beijing launched a 760 billion yuan (HK$852 billion) fund to clean up the city’s air, then mayor Wang Anshun vowed to solve the smog problem by 2017.
The governor of neighbouring Hebei province, which relies on the steel industry, pledged last March that air quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region would see a “remarkable improvement” in three to five years.