NEWS//Beijing Smog Clears

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s fight against pollution is starting to pay off, Bloomberg News reported on August 20, 2018.

Five of the seven lowest average monthly pollution readings in Beijing since 2008 have been recorded since the beginning of last summer, according to data recorded by the U.S. State Department. 

According to the South China Morning Post, July pollution levels averaged 44 micrograms of airborne particles per cubic meter, the seventh lowest since recordings began in 2008. 2008 was when Chinese officials ramped up enforcement of policies restricting coal burning in Beijing and surrounding areas.

Air pollution in Beijing peaked in 2013 when the air pollutants peaked at 35 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit.

Although Beijing’s air quality is improving, other Chinese cities continue to choke. See the chart below.

 Sources: Bloomberg News, South China Morning Post