Following the report, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) in early December released a comprehensive plan to reduce air pollution, vowing to cut the PM 2.5 intensity by at least 5 percent by 2015 in 13 major areas covering 117 cities.
The country's atmospheric environmental condition remains arduous, as 70 percent of Chinese cities fail to meet new air quality standards, said Zhao Hualin, head of the MEP Department of Pollution Prevention and Control.
"The air quality is an issue directly related to and most concerned by people," said Zhao, adding the plan's fundamental goal is to protect people's health and ensure their environmental rights and interests.
Experts believe curing "city diseases" and building a "beautiful China" is a systematic project from multiple aspects, such as urban layout optimization, population control, green production, energy saving and emissions reduction.
Hao Jiming, director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Tsinghua University, said "fine management" is required.
"Detailed measures should take place, such as further developing public transportation, optimizing bus routes, strengthening management of construction vehicles in urban areas and forbidding straw burning during harvest season near cities," said Hao.
Apart from government efforts, Li Xiaosong, deputy director with Beijing's traffic management committee, also urged residents' participation to ease urban problems.
"Among all factors that trigger traffic congestion, people's undisciplined behaviors account for 20 to 30 percent," said Li. "I hope everyone makes a contribution to building a 'beautiful city'."
Cumquat market in S China's Guangxi
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