Neighboring province to cut emissions for Beijing's V-Day parade

SHIJIAZHUANG - North China's Hebei province said on Monday that it will cut pollutant discharge from its heavy industries by 30 percent to ensure good air quality for the upcoming military parade in Beijing on September 3.

Hebei, which surrounds the Chinese capital and is home to many of China's large steel mills and other pollution-spewing heavy industries such as cement and glass, promised a spate of tough measures to curb pollution for a week starting this Friday.

These measures, including slashing coal burning, industrial discharge and car emissions, will help clear Beijing's sky as China commemorates its victory in World War II with a military parade on September 3.

Chen Guoying, head of the environmental protection bureau in Hebei, said on Monday that the province will implement the highest level anti-pollution response. Plants that fail to meet the emissions standard ahead of this Friday will be forced to shut down.

China has taken extraordinary steps in the past to ensure good air quality in Beijing for special events, including the summer Olympic Games in 2008 and the APEC summit last year.

According to meteorological data, Beijing will be susceptible to light to moderate smog toward the end of the week, and smog is predicted for early next month.