Blue sky is back to Beijing on Aug. 18, 2015. (Photo/Beijing News)
(ECNS) -- Seven provinces and cities in north China will launch massive efforts, including the shut-down of thousands of plants, to cut major pollutants by 30 percent in order to improve air quality for a military parade, according to the Beijing News. [Special coverage]
The capital will host a grand parade on Sept. 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945).
From midday on Aug. 28 to midnight on Sept. 4, carbon reduction will be put in place across seven provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shandong and Henan.
Beijing faces a 40 percent cut in major pollutants, while the rest need to reach a 30-percent reduction.
A total of 12,255 high-pollution sites will have their production limited or even suspended.
Guo Jinlong, Party chief of Beijing, said preparations for the memorial parade are coming to an end and the next crucial step is to ensure emissions from vehicles and construction sites are controlled. All provinces and cities are required to be ready by the end of August.
Chen Jining, China's environment minister, said emission control is not only a guarantee of a successful parade but also a matter of honor for Beijing as China's capital.
The city has also announced that it would ban half of cars from the road from Aug. 20 to Sept. 3 to ease traffic during the parade. Cars will be allowed on alternating days based on odd-even license plate numbers during this period.
