China admits it will struggle to meet smog reduction targets
China says it is still facing huge pressure to meet politically crucial air quality targets this year, even after it spelled out more details on Friday of a six-month plan to cut smog this winter.
China has promised to close twice as many factories and enforce bigger emission cuts in coming months in a bid to avoid a repeat of the near-record levels of choking smog that enveloped key northern regions at the start of the year.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection, which last week published a 143-page plan on cutting emissions at 28 cities , said at a briefing that random spot checks would be used to ensure local governments and enterprises toe the line.
But in a summary of an internal meeting published on its website, it noted the difficulty of meeting targets set in 2013 aimed at assuaging public anger over damage to the environment after three decades of breakneck growth, with many areas still not up to scratch.
“The completion of the targets and tasks of the (2013) 10-point air quality action plan is still facing huge pressure,” the ministry said, citing environment minister Li Ganjie.
