Clear skies for Apec prove smog can be beaten, Communist Party mouthpiece claims
People's Daily said measures including massive factory shutdowns and car bans had been effective - but admitted polluted skies would probably return after the summit
Clean air in Beijing for Apec resulting from massive factory shutdowns and traffic bans in the city and six neighbouring provinces shows the capital’s notorious smog problem is “curable”, the People’s Daily said on Friday.
The stark contrast between the “Apec blue” – a term coined by Beijingers to describe the short term cure for air pollution – and the toxic smog that frequently shrouds the city shows anti-pollution measures are effective, according to the commentary in the Communist Party mouthpiece.
“Even though the super tough measures will not last long, the serious attitude, firm determination and coordinated mechanisms should be retained after Apec,” the piece stated.
Enforcement of the temporary measures has been strict as China hosts its most high profile international event since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Even local authorities have been fined.
In Shijiazhuang, Hebei’s capital, five business owners were put under administrative detention and fined a total of 350,000 yuan for flouting the temporary rules, according to the Beijing Youth Daily. The paper added 24 local officials were punished for failing to implement the pollution control measures.
In Baoding, one of the worst polluted cities in the mainland, the local environmental bureau was fined 100 yuan for failing to comply with the car ban which prohibits vehicles from the roads on alternate days based on their number plate. The bureau was using one of its cars for pollution inspection on Tuesday, when it should have been off the road, the Beijing Youth Daily said.