2013 China's progress report on combating pollution

The Vice-minister of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection is briefing the press about the progress made in combating environmental pollution in 2013.

In recent years, China has made great efforts to improve the quality of its environment. It has stepped up efforts especially after many Chinese cities experienced more than usual smoggy days in the past few years. 

According to information released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, 62 out of the 74 officially monitored cities in China did not meet the pollution standard on at least 15 days in December. That's twice as many cities as in November.

In early December, 104 cities in 20 provinces across China were enveloped in smog, with visibility in some places reduced to less than 10 meters. The average PM 2.5 particulate count also increased by almost 56 percent in the final month of 2013.

In 2013, the Ministry of Environment improved the standards of emissions by enterprises and controlled the emission of pollutants of six industries, including steel, coal, electricity and the chemical industry.

In the first half of the year, China provided 10 billion Yuan to five provinces and municipalities to improve the quality of air.