Beijing sees blue skies; official vows tough action

Capital will launch environmental police force to address law enforcement issues

Beijing residents saw blue skies on Sunday, as a cold front dispersed the smog which had been hovering over the capital for the past week. Having been cooped up indoors for a week, many people took to streets and parks for the first time this year.

Beijing lifted its orange alert for air pollution on Saturday night. Emergency measures such as vehicle restrictions and the suspension of factory production ended, while construction work resumed, according to the city air pollution response headquarters.