Shijiazhuang in North China's Hebei province issued a red alert for heavy air pollution from 7 am on 25th of Dec, urging factories and construction sites to reduce emissions so that the pollution might be mitigated.
Following continuous decreases for almost 10 straight years, the concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter in China declined to below 30 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
China has managed to realize a win-win between socioeconomic development and environmental protection in its action to enhance air pollution control since 2013, said Li Haisheng, president of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences.
China will strive to eliminate heavy air pollution events in 70 percent of its major cities by 2025, according to an action plan unveiled on Thursday.
As the city has just hosted the Winter Olympics and prepares to stage the Winter Paralympics, which start on Friday, the capital's greatly improved air quality has been a boon for residents.